The statistics, from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR), indicate break and enters to dwellings and thefts from motor vehicles are being reported in the Dubbo local government area at a rate two-and-a-half times the state average.

The statistics for the 12 months to September 2012 also indicate that murder, domestic and non-domestic violence-related assaults, indecent assaults and thefts from retail stores are also happening in Dubbo at twice the rate that they are in NSW in general.

Break and enters to dwellings in Wellington were being reported at a rate just over three times the NSW average. When it came to domestic violence-related assaults, sexual assaults, thefts from dwellings and malicious damage to property, Wellington reported rates at more than twice the state average.

Some NSW towns are experiencing crime at rates of up to twelve times the state average.

In Narromine, indecent assaults were reported at a rate three times the state average, while thefts from dwellings and malicious damage to property offences were being reported at rates twice the state average. Bourke reported crime rates at least twice the state average in 13 of the 17 major crime categories. These included ratios for domestic violence-related assault of 11.6, break and enters to dwellings (6.7), non-domestic violence-related assault (5.9) and break and enters to non-dwellings (4.5). Walgett reported crime rates at least twice the state average in nine of the 17 major crime categories. These included a murder rate of twelve times the state average, and while the ratios are calculated per 100,000 of population, BOCSAR has reminded people that in centres with smaller populations that one or two incidents in a particular crime category can mean a huge difference when it comes to the per capita rate.  The ratio of crime reported in some categories in the Walgett local government area compared with the NSW average included for domestic violence-related assault (6.5), break and enters to non-dwellings (5.3), non-domestic violence-related assault (3.9) and break and enters to dwellings (3.2).

angela.clutterbuck@ruralpress.com