Many types of crimes across the western plains are in decline according to new data released this week.  

Despite the region’s reputation for high levels of crime, a Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) report released on Monday showed a steady decline in house break-ins, stealing from motor vehicles and damage to property over the five year period from September 2018 to September 2022.  

"The far-west is often marked by high crime rates. However, what these latest figures show is that crime across the region is mostly stable over the past five years and in many areas there are actually marked decreases. All of this comes in the context of crime overall decreasing in the whole of NSW over the last decade" BOCSAR executive director Jackie Fitzgerald told the Western Plains App.  

Fitzgerald told the Western Plains App that there were no significant increases in crime types in any of the region’s local government areas when looking at five year trends. She said Cobar had seen a significant decrease in assault, Coonamble saw far fewer stealing offences, Walgett had a decrease in break and enter as well as damage to propery and theft, and Warren saw a drop in vandalism and weapons offences over the past half decade. 

“This can be partially explained by the impact of Government policy during COVID” Fitzgerald said “Once the lockdowns started then crime rates dropped almost overnight. People were inside and therefore not committing a bunch of property offences they otherwise might. It may also be that the stimulus payments meant that people no longer had the need to commit property offences. Most types of crime have not come back yet to pre pandemic levels”. 

Since 2018, regional NSW had a 19 per cent rise in reported domestic assaults and 13 per cent increase across the state.  Although the highest rates of domestic and family violence were in western parts of the state, the region had bucked the trend in remaining stable in these categories.  

However, Coonamble and Bourke did see a rise in stalking and intimidation offences. Bogan had rises in fraud and malicious damage to property crimes. Cobar and Walgett by contrast saw slight crime drops in nearly every type offence. 

Peter Vlatko, General Manager of the Cobar Shire Council told the Western Plains App the overall figures were a cause of cautious optimism and indicated a combination of luck and good community work. 

ABOVE: Peter Vlatko, General Manager Cobar Shire Council [Image: Cobar Shire Council]

"Community and police are working together to make sure crimes don’t happen.  But I suppose we are just a bit lucky. We keep emphasising that people should record and report crimes because we want our region to be a better place to live. It is becoming a better place to live and raise a family " he said.