Police throwing everything at domestic violence, getting results

The region's top cop says it's a multi-pronged approach, which also shows victims have confidence when it comes to reporting incidents to police.

The latest crime statistics for the Tamworth Local Government Area (LGA), show an increase in a raft of major crime categories.

In the statistics published on June 13, there were 450 domestic violence related assaults in the year to March 2023, and 569 in the 12 months to March 2024.

Oxley Police District Commander Superintendent Bruce Grassick said there had been a lot of work and investment from the NSW Police Force in relation to domestic and family violence.

"It is a key priority of the Commissioner," he said and a significant focus of the Oxley Police District, where 'Safety Action Meetings' are held monthly and focus on victims who are at serious threat of harm.

"Those services will come together ... and try and reduce that risk of harm to the individual, and that's a raft of services that are involved in relation to that particular space," Superintendent Grassick told the Leader.

"Aside from that, we have a designated team here at Oxley Police District that looks wholly and solely in the domestic and family violence space and I've got a team not only based here at Tamworth, but also at Gunnedah and at Narrabri."

Superintendent Grassick said another reason for the increase was the fact victims have confidence in the police and other services.

"And then allow the police and other services to become involved and assist in them in relation to their specific circumstances," he said.

Public messaging around domestic and family violence is another important factor, he said.

The statistics also show an increase in the number of non-domestic violence assaults, from 389 in the 12 months to March 2023, to 394 for the same period to March 2024.

In other offences, the Tamworth Regional area saw 21 more sexual assaults in 2024 (146) compared to 2023 (125). Sexual touching offences were also up, from 91 to 105.

Break and enter dwelling offences saw a spike from 517 in 2023 to 565 in the 12 months to March 2024.

The offence of break and enter non-dwelling actually saw a drop over the two year period from 113 to 94.

Motor vehicle theft is an increasing problem for police. In 2023 there were 194 reported incidents compared to 219 in 2024 reporting period.

Steal from motor vehicle is also on the rise, from 356 in 2023 to 401 in 2024.

The cost of living crisis could be contributing to an increase in steal from retail store, where offences have gone from 252 to 311.

Other stealing offences rose from 349 to 438.

"It's really a collective and collaborative approach in relation to this type of crime, or reducing this type of crime," Superintendent Grassick said.

"Some of it, and more often than not, is opportunist and a lot of it isn't planned, so they'll see an opportunity where something's been left of a valuable nature in someone's yard and they see that as an opportunity to be able to take that away from them.

"So it's really about looking at the security in your own yard and working collaboratively with the NSW Police and others in relation to trying to reduce those opportunist crimes."

Malicious damage to property saw a drop from 808 offences in 2023 to 784 in 2024.

One area where Superintendent Grassick said they had made particular inroads, was youth crime.

Operation Regional Mongoose has targeted young and repeat offenders, and would appear to be having an impact.

"There's been multiple charges in relation to this serious type of offending where they're breaking into people's homes, stealing cars and then being engaged in pursuits with police, but like I said we've seen a downturn in that type of crime, rather than an upturn, which is a positive for all people involved," Superintendent Grassick said.

"Probably the catalyst behind that is not only my designated team here in my local patch that I can move around to combat that crime wherever that may be occurring, and that's a full time designated team with an assigned detective .. as well as multiple resources that will go into that space and delve not only into the crimes that are occurring but also the prevention and diversion space.

"I only went to a meeting today discussing some disengaged youth and some long-term strategies around that and how we can work together to reduce that reoffending that's coming out of that space."

Across the New England North West region in the five years (12 months to March) 2020 to (12 months to March) 2024, BOCSAR statistics show an increase in seven major crime categories including:

And a not significant (ns) change was noted in the remaining five categories including: murder; sexual touching, sexual act and other sexual offences; break and enter non-dwelling; steal from motor vehicle; other stealing offences; and malicious damage to property.