The quarterly report of the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) shows the number of incidents in each of the thirteen major offence categories was stable over the 24 months to September 2024.

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BOCSAR Executive Director Jackie Fitzgerald, said in a statement that while property crime had been in decline since at least 2018, there had been persistent increases in recorded incidents of domestic and sexual assault.

“Given that… as of September 2024, not a single major violent or property offence has significantly increased over the past two-years.”

This was also the case across Sydney.

Motor vehicle theft was another offence that had been increasing, largely due to trends in regional areas.

These appear to be stabilising in all but five of the state’s 28 statistical regions.

Also remaining steady are the number of court actions against adults and young people.

While stable crime rates are good news, the trends of the past decade are not.

Figures also released by BOCSAR show that over the past ten years, sexual assaults have risen in every regional area by an average 8.2 percent per year.

Domestic violence-related assaults are up by an average three percent per year, and are still rising, in all but one regional location.

There were significant increases in two other major offences over the past ten years.

These are shoplifting and sexual touching, sexual acts and other sexual offences.

BOCSAR has an interactive crime tool that shows crime rates across regional towns and local government areas.

It can be found online at crimetool.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/bocsar/.

By Sue STEPHENSON