PROACTIVE policing strategies have delivered results for the Chifley Police District, with the latest crime statistics revealing seven of the major crime categories on the decline.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research released its quarterly update this week, and the region’s highest ranking police officer, Supt Paul McDonald, is happy with the results.
Of significance is a 35 per cent drop in break and enters (dwelling) in the 12 months leading up to March 2018, a 35 per cent drop in steal from motor vehilces and a 31 per cent drop in steal from retail store in the same period.
The figures, which relate to the Bathurst Local Government Area, compare the 12 months leading up to March 2018 to the the 12 month period leading up to March 2017.
Among the crime categories to fall were malicious damage 538 incidents compared to 576 the year before, fraud, 252 reports compared to 299 in 2017, steal from dwelling 128 down from 137, steal from retail store 126 down from 183, steal from motor vehicle 229 down from 350, motor vehicle theft, which fell from 93 to 65, break and enter non dwelling 83 to 68 and break and enter down from 329 to 215.
Crime categories to rise were domestic related violence, 229 compared to 192 to the previous year, sexual assault which was 57 incidents up from 38. All other crime categories remained stable.
Supt McDonald said the results were a reflection of hard work by police on the ground.
“I’m very happy with the way things are,” Supt McDonald said.
“Our proactive strategies, high visibility policing and having police on the street is having an effect, and they show we are targeting the right people” he said.
Supt McDonald said the impending deployment of the Regional Enforcement Squad, based in Bathurst will further assist police, giving them additional resources to target key crime categories.
While domestic violence incidents increased in the figures, Supt McDonald said this correlates with increased reporting on the crime.
He said the region will soon be appointed a domestic violence operative, working in addition to the domestic violence liaison officer, who will be proactively focusing on the compliance of domestic violence orders.
Overall, Supt McDonald said the crime statistics show incidents are not as prevalent as they were previously and police strategies, which also include working closely with other key stakeholders targeting criminal activity, are working.
