The Bellingen Local Government Area may not have cleared the Fit For the Future hurdle, but locals can take comfort that our crime figures are much lower than neighbouring shires Nambucca and Coffs Harbour.
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The latest data released by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOSCAR) shows the number of recorded criminal incidents for both major offences and criminal incidents, violent and property offences are lower in the Bellingen Shire area.
And this, in the main, holds true even when population variation is accounted for.
See below for Bellingen, Coffs Harbour and Nambucca Shire crime stats.
Statewide, the BOCSAR report said that crime was down, and this prompted the NSW Police Force to claim its key role in keeping the streets safer.
“The crime figures continued to reflect the hard work of all police officers with 16 of the major crime categories either stable or falling,” NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said.
“The latest data shows seven offences trending downward, nine remaining stable and only one showed a significant trend upward: steal from retail store up 6.7 per cent, during the 24 months ending December 2015.
“BOCSAR reports that high on the target list in the `Steal from Retail Store' category includes: thefts from liquor stores, food, mobile phones, electrical appliances and expensive perfumes.
“Increased pro-active work by local police, such as working with loss prevention officers to identify theft as it occurs, has led to an increase in incidents being reported.”
BOSCAR said in NSW there ere significant drops in seven of the 17 major categories are:
- Robbery without a weapon (down 19.3 per cent)
- Robbery with a firearm (down 41.8 per cent)
- Robbery with a weapon not a firearm (down 20.7 per cent)
- Break and enter dwelling (down 7.1 per cent)
- Break and enter non-dwelling (7.1 per cent)
- Motor vehicle theft (down 5.5 per cent)
- Steal from motor vehicle (down 6.6 per cent).
“The report also notes that increases in other crime categories, are primarily linked to pro-active policing strategies,” Commissioner Scipione said.
“It is important to recognise how the report linked these increases to concentrated law enforcement.
“This is particularly relevant regarding current drug-possession rates, Commissioner Scipione said, which reflected a targeted policing approach and increased detections of drugs in the community.
“NSW Police will continue to work hard to tackle the scourge of illegal drugs and the detrimental impact they are having on our communities,'' he said.
“We see time and time again the irreversible damage drugs have on individuals, their families and the wider community.
“We must therefore stay strong in our resolve to keep the pressure on those who choose to perpetuate this illegal trade.''
Outside the major categories, increases were recorded in secondary crime areas including:
- Possession of amphetamine (up 30.6 per cent)
- Possession of cocaine (up 35.9 per cent)
- Breach bail conditions (up 14 per cent).
Increases in amphetamine possession have been recorded in both regional areas and metropolitan Sydney.
BOCSAR director, Dr Don Weatherburn, notes in the report that, “the increase in bail breaches coming to court appears to be contributing to the increasing remand population.”
Commissioner Scipione said the men and women of the NSW Police Force continue to work tirelessly to keep the people of NSW safe and secure.