Recent crime data from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research shows while the rate of sexual assault has dropped, both ice use and intimidation, stalking and harassment offences are rising.
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There were 41 less recorded sexual assaults in the Shoalhaven compared to last year, contributing to a drop of 37 per cent over the two-year trend.
Offences falling under intimidation, stalking and harassment have seen a rise since last year. There were 537 offences in the period from July 2018 to June 2019 compared to 446 in the previous year.
For possession of ice/amphetamines, there were 15 more offences than the previous year. Over five years the area has seen a 15 per cent rise in ice possession offences.
Break and enters for dwellings have seen a drop over both the short and long term. Over the past two years there has been a drop of 10 per cent but over five years the drop has been 16 per cent.
No murders were recorded between July 2018 to June 2019, with one occurring the year before. There was one manslaughter offence recorded this year.
The category of "other offences" has seen a dramatic rise of 53 per cent over the last two years.
There was 245 "other offences" recorded in the Shoalhaven over the last year. The offences included 14 animal cruelty offences, five for electronic spying or unauthorised data, two for service denial and one for malware or unauthorised data modification. People also had crimes recorded under the Bush Fire Act, making false triple zero calls and under various marine laws.
Across NSW more broadly the only crime trending upwards was retail theft. BOSCAR said this was "largely due to more shop stealing incidents occurring at licenced premises and supermarkets".
Retail theft in the Shoalhaven has remained fairly stable.
Read more: Crime/Court