The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) report was released yesterday and break and enter (non- dwelling) was one of two categories to see a significant spike.

In the 12 months to March 2016, there were 183 break-ins at “non-dwellings” including businesses, schools, industrial properties and sporting clubs, compared with 118 the previous year.

Retail theft was also up from 164 in the previous year to 208 in the 12 months to March 2016.

There were two murders recorded in Bathurst during the 12-month period – real estate sales consultant Nadia Cameron in July 2015 and homeless man Reginald Mullaly in September last year.

Other categories to rise, though only marginally, were sexual assault, up from 48 to 50, robbery without a weapon, up from six to nine, robbery with a weapon but not a firearm, up from five to 10, motor vehicle theft, up from 70 to 90, and malicious damage, up from 507 to 552.

Chifley Local Area Command crime manager Inspector Luke Rankin said while the spike in break and enters might look confronting, the overall trend was downward.

“We had a run of break and enters [non- dwelling] in the CBD and on its fringe in January,” he said.

“Often with situations like this when we get a spike, we will have one or two active offenders.

“Over a period of time we accumulate evidence against those responsible to initiate [court] proceedings, and those responsible have either been convicted or are currently before the courts.

“Once arrested, the pattern of crime comes to an end, which can be seen in the following months.

“In this case we had a couple of spikes, got on to the offenders and brought it under control. That’s how crime works.

“There will always be spikes in one category or another. If you really want to look at crime trends, you need to look at five years [cycle].”

Inspector Rankin said overall he was content with the latest crime statistics.

“We’ve had spikes, but we’ve been able to get them under control.”

He also said one of the biggest problems in the command was recidivism – the case of 95 per cent of the crime being done by five per cent of the community. 

Among the crime categories to fall were domestic violence-related assault, non-domestic violence-related assault, indecent assault, break and enter (dwelling), theft from a motor vehicle, theft from a dwelling and theft from a person. Fraud remained stable.

In relation to the two murders, Inspector Rankin said the Nadia Cameron case – where police believe she was killed in a murder/suicide – was set down for inquest, while the Reginald Mullaly investigation remains ongoing.