GUNNEDAH has seen a significant drop in crime with break-and-enters to homes and businesses almost halving, while the rates of malicious damage and thefts also dropped dramatically.
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Oxley police believe vigilance from the community, increased security and officers targeting known suspects has created a multi-pronged approach that has seen crime rates fall in the 12 months to March, this year.
The latest round of crime figures from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) show that break-and-enters to houses fell from 102 incidents in the 12 months to March, 2016, to 57 reports in the year to March – a 45 per cent drop.
Break-ins to businesses fell from 54 to 19 incidents across the same time period.
Thefts from cars also fell 40 per cent with 32 stealings reported to March this year.
“The reduction in break-ins to residences as well as steal from motor vehicle can be attributed to a number of factors including targeting of suspects, enhanced reporting of suspicious activity by community members and target hardening through enhanced home and motor vehicle security,” Oxley Chief Inspector Phil O’Reilly told the Namoi Valley Independent.
“The cooperation of the community in reporting crime combined with the crime prevention initiatives by Gunnedah Shire Council including an increase in CCTV also assists police.
The reduction in break-ins to residences as well as steal from motor vehicle can be attributed to a number of factors including targeting of suspects, enhanced reporting of suspicious activity by community members and target hardening through enhanced home and motor vehicle security.
- Oxley Chief Inspector Phil O’Reilly
“Police continue to proactively target suspects in the community, which assists in preventing opportunistic crime.”
Domestic violence-related assaults were one of the only crime categories that saw an increase with 20 more incidents reported to total 79 in the 12 months to March, this year.
Non-domestic assaults dropped from 96 to 80 incidents, sexual assaults fell from 21 to 13 reports and indecent assaults all recorded falls from 24 to 16 incidents.
In the same time period, motor vehicle thefts also fell from 31 incidents to 18 in the 12 months to March.
Shoplifting, robberies and thefts from homes and persons were all on par with the previous year.
Fraud rates more than halved from 120 incidents to 47 – despite increases in other locations with the rise of paywave technology.
Chief Inspector O’Reilly said despite the fall in fraud, now was not the time to become complacent.
“We ask business owners to be wary of persons making multiple paywave transactions and request that the persons identity is checked to ensure it matches the card being used,” he said.
We ask business owners to be wary of persons making multiple paywave transactions and request that the persons identity is checked to ensure it matches the card being used.
- Oxley Chief Inspector Phil O’Reilly
Breanna Chillingworth
Northern Daily Leader Senior Crime and Court Reporter
Northern Daily Leader Senior Crime and Court Reporter
