Car thefts in Dubbo are significantly down thanks to police work within the juvenile crime space, says Superintendent Peter McKenna.
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The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) data released on Wednesday details statewide crime figures in the Local Government Area for the 12 months to September 2020.
In the past 12 months motor vehicle thefts were down in the Dubbo Regional Council Local Government Area with just 185 incidents reported to police compared to 256 in 2019.
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Steal from motor vehicle incidents also decreased from 876 cases in 2019 to just 539 incidents in 2020.
However in the last 12 months there were 507 break and enters to dwellings, which is 3.6 times the NSW average per 100,000 people, and another 201 to non-dwellings.
Steal from retail store, dwelling and from another person remained two times the state average.
A majority of the other crime categories remained stable including sexual assault, indecent assault or acts of indecency, fraud and robbery with and without a weapon or firearm.
Domestic violence related assault in Dubbo still remained 3.2 times the state average, with 670 cases reported to police during the 12 months.
Two murders reported in the Dubbo Local Government Area also saw the category spike to 3.9 times the state average.
The amount of malicious damage to property during the year was 2.6 times higher than the state.
Orana Mid-Western Police District commander, Superintendent Peter McKenna said the stable crime rate and significant decrease in car thefts could be attributed to the pandemic, which saw less people on the streets, and those committing crimes detected quickly.
Superintendent McKenna added the decrease could also be attributed to their work with the juvenile crime space in the last 12 months, particularity Project Walwaay.
"Overall I'd say it's the significant amount of work we've been putting in over the last 12 months in our Walwaay youth team project, where we've been working with the youth of Dubbo in particular, and keeping them out of the criminal justice system," Supt McKenna said.
Project Walwaay is a community project run by the Orana Mid-Western police district, developed to ensure Aboriginal youth, identified as being at risk of entering the criminal justice system, get the full support they need to stay on the right side of the law.
Superintendent McKenna said they had seen a 60 per cent reduction of Aboriginal youths being charged in Dubbo.
"We're working with the PCYC on Friday nights, and we're consistently getting about 120 or more kids there, and this previously was a prime night for motor vehicle theft and steal from motor vehicle, which has decreased enormously," he said.
"It's about us working with other stake holders in town to really make a difference in that juvenile crime space, which steal from motor vehicle and stealing vehicles has traditionally gone hand in hand with juvenile crime."
Crime statistics for the LGA and the hot spot maps are released quarterly.