A new youth trend of posting crimes online for 'notoriety' could be the reason behind a spike in break-ins and motor vehicle thefts in Dubbo.
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The latest data released by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) this month, showed each crime category in the Dubbo Local Government Area was at least two times above the NSW average.
It covers incidents in the Dubbo Local Government Area in the 12-months to March 2022. It shows the rate of recorded criminal incidents per 100,000 people.
During the 12 months break and enters to dwellings were 4.9 times higher than the NSW average. There were 561 incidents of break and enters in 2022, compared to just 368 the year before.
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That's almost 11 break and enters each week in the Dubbo region.
Break and enters to non-dwellings also almost four times the NSW average with 185 incidents recorded in the last 12 months. Motor vehicle thefts were also 3.6 times the NSW average with 252 incidents in Dubbo recorded.
Among increases, people stealing from motor vehicles was three times the NSW average with 549 incidents recorded.
Every other category, including robbery, sexual offences, steal from retail and malicious damage remained at least two times the NSW average.
Orana Mid-Western police district commander, Superintendent Danny Sullivan said the spike could be attributed to a disturbing new TikTok trend, which involves young people filming themselves allegedly committing crimes and then sharing the footage on social media for "notoriety".
Supt Sullivan explained this was being seen across all police districts, not just in Dubbo.
"There is notoriety in this, and it's classic thrill-seeking behaviour which is being expressed in online forums," he said.
We've increased and renewed our efforts and working with our other partner agencies in the area in getting young people away from those risky behaviours that get them into the criminal justice system
- Superintendent Danny Sullivan
"It's dangerous behaviour and we'll police it, but we really need parents to be aware of it, and to monitor what kids are doing on social media, because this is where young people are spending their time," he said.
However, the district commander said police were aware of the new trend and said it could be linked to the rise in motor vehicle thefts and break-ins.
"The pattern we're detecting first of all is that one of the key motivators for people breaking into homes these days is to get car keys," he explained.
"In the local area eight to 10 cars are stolen with their own keys."
However, Superintendent Sullivan said break-in crimes were easily preventable, and by introducing a number of small changes to the home, residents could lower the risk of becoming a victim of crime.
These include securing your home, locking your car and making sure keys are not in an easily accessible place.
"If you look at that steal from cars, that's very much an opportunistic crime and the primary behaviour there is lock your car and stow your valuables," he said.
"A person that's down on their luck, they'll play the odds, they'll try all the car doors, and if its your car that has valuables in plain sight and the car's unlocked then as I say we never blame a victim of crime but there are things we can do that are in our control, easy things."
The key to breaking this trend, Supt Sullivan said was was early intervention.
This he said was being achieved through police work in partnership with a number of government and non-government agencies to target these juvenile behaviours and keep young people out of the criminal justice system.
"The piece we're working on broader is particularly the work we're doing with young people, which is to keep them away from the criminal justice system in the first place," he said.
"And so we've increased and renewed our efforts and working with our other partner agencies in the area in getting young people away from those risky behaviours that get them into the criminal justice system."
"The key goal is to keep them away from the risky behaviours that draws them into the criminal justice system and give them determination, which means get a job and lift them up into responsibility because its liberating.
"The challenging piece which young people don't realise is boundaries are liberating, it gives you that ability to grow. So that's a lot of the work we do with our Aboriginal youth team in partnership with PCYC and those other agencies."
"It won't happen overnight it will take time. But it's certainly a piece of work we're engaged in and invested in."
But ultimately the district commander assured the community police were working around the clock to make sure those committing these offences were caught.
"We're certainly as a command punching way above our waist when it comes to bringing those intent on causing harm in our community before the court, and we certainly wont rest in that regard," Supt Sullivan said.
DOMESTIC AND FAMILY VIOLENCE
Data shows there was also a spike in domestic violence related assaults which in Dubbo was 3.1 times the NSW average with 653 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March 2022.
Orana Mid Western police district commander, Superintendent Danny Sullivan said he found the increase concerning.
While on one hand he said an increase in cases reported could highlight people feeling confident with the system, he said it was still taking place.
His main drive is creating a 'speak out' culture in Dubbo, and flipping the narrative from victim blaming to perpetrator accountability.
We need to re-frame our language around perpetrator accountability, and not ask 'why doesn't she leave?' but more importantly ask 'why does he hit?
- Superintendent Danny Sullivan
"There's a significant community narrative that we need to link into, and what I mean by that is community meetings I go to, we have a tendency to slip into victim blaming," he said.
"With language like 'why doesn't she leave?' or 'what did she do?' or 'She probably provoked it' - again in the feminine because its women who are primarily the victims. But we need to flip that around and talk about perpetrator accountability."
Along with school visits to promote the LOVE BiTES program which emphasises the importance of a whole school commitment to respectful relationship education, NSW Police domestic violence liaison officers were working in partnership with the 'Staying Home Leaving Violence' program by the Department of Communities and Justice.
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The program is embedded in the Dubbo Police Station and works with the domestic violence team to support victims.
This, Supt Sullivan said were just two steps toward not only teaching people healthy relationship behaviours, but supporting victims.
"We need to re-frame our language around perpetrator accountability, and not ask 'why doesn't she leave?' but more importantly ask 'why does he hit?' and look at what we can do as a community.
"The big picture is to intersect with this violence, but also bring people if they've got a problem bring them into those brilliant local services to teach them that violence is never the answer."
He explained the community would also be seeing a renewed focus in and around licenced premises, highlighting alcohol was a major contributing factor to most crimes of violence.
"It's about what you can control, and it's working with our pubs and clubs to make sure responsible service, that things are done properly and all the things are in our control are done the way should out to do them. So people will see a renewed focus in and around our licenced premises."
Supt Sullivan said changing conversations could begin with something as small as calling out your friends and holding them accountable when at the pub.
"Its a slippery slope from lowkey sexism to full on victim blaming, and it's okay to call it out and in fact we should have that culture," he said.