Car thefts, youth crime, home break-ins and domestic violence were among the hot topics discussed on day one of a two-day crime conference in Gunnedah.
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Gunnedah Shire Council (GSC) deputy mayor Rob Hooke kicked off the Crime Prevention and Safety Conference on Thursday, November 23, by acknowledging the higher rates of crime in regional areas compared to metropolitan areas.
Vehicle thefts are 88 per cent higher in regional areas, Mr Hooke said, citing Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) figures, "break and enters are 90 per cent higher, sexual assault 87pc higher, drug and alcohol 80 per cent... and domestic assaults 87pc".
A total of 24 speakers were slotted across the two days, including BOCSAR's Dr Alana Cook talking about crime statistics, John Maynard dipping into his expertise about safe city planning, and Man Cave founder Hunter Johnson talking about ending male aggression towards women, on day one.
Dr Cook said that across the New England North West, figures show youth crime has increased in relation to car thefts and property crime.
It's really about stopping the issue before it starts, rather than treating the symptom
- Andrew Johns
The issue has been ongoing across the region and led to a bolstered police operation called Western Mongoose.
"Within the New England Northwest region, about 20pc of all offenders are young people," Dr Cook said.
"But that compares to about 10pc of offenders being young people across [all of] regional New South Wales."
She said data shows that most stolen vehicles are recovered "not necessarily in a condition that they're driveable" which suggests they're taken for a "joy ride" rather than for turning a profit.
Andrew Johns, director of planning and environmental services, at Gunnedah Shire Council is on the crime prevention working group that started organising the conference in 2019.
"Fast forward four years, and we've had a spike in crime, so it's become even more important that we're hosting this conference in the region," Mr Johns said.
As someone living in the shire, Mr Johns said he has noticed an increase in aggravated break-and-enters, car thefts, arson, with figures also showing an increase in domestic violence.
"But what I'm hearing today from some of the speakers is that it's really about stopping the issue before it starts, rather than treating the symptom," Mr Johns said.
"Family violence is an issue that is being experienced across our region.... and that type of behaviour becomes ingrained and tends to act out in other ways and in other levels of crime.
"So, it's important that we nip this in the bud and deal with issues as they start rather than dealing with the symptoms of the final outcome when they become crimes."
And with Christmas only a few weeks away, Tamworth Family Support Services (TFSS) Cassandra Tuson said they "definitely tend to see increases in family and domestic violence and assault" in the region.
"And what is coming out now, is that it [domestic violence and assault] is definitely a lot more extreme than what we've seen in previous years," she said.
The 2021 Australian of the Year Grace Tame was the first keynote speaker, however, she requested that no media be present in the room during her talk.
Ms Tame was groomed and repeatedly sexually abused when she was a 15-year-old minor by 58-year-old teacher Nicolaas Bester at St Michael's Collegiate girls' school in Hobart.
Bester was jailed for two years and 10 months in 2011 for the abuse of Ms Tame and for possession of child pornography material.
