CASES of fraud have boomed across the Central West during the past year, new data shows.
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The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) data released on Wednesday details statewide crime figures for the 12 months to September 2018.
In the Central West, incidents in 14 of the 17 reported crime categories have fallen in the past year, while three have risen.
The biggest increase was cases of fraud which jumped significantly from 970 cases in the 12 months to September 2017, to 1145 cases in the year to September 2018 – an increase of 18 per cent.
Other crime categories to record an increase were domestic violence related assault which increased from 1062 to 1078 incidents (up 1.5 per cent) and robbery without a weapon which increased from 19 to 21 (up 10.5 per cent).
However, the BOCSAR data also shows that many crime categories recorded a decrease in the number of incidents, with the biggest being break and enter dwelling – this fell from 1258 incidents to 1041 (down 20.8 per cent).
Fraud cases in the Central West have jumped 18 per cent.
- Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research data
There was also a significant drop in break and enter non-dwelling, with the number of reported cases in the Central West falling from 501 to 439 (down 14.1 per cent) during the reporting period.
The number of motor vehicle thefts in the region also fell – from 409 to 357 (a drop of 14.6 per cent).
And while there was the equivalent of more than six malicious damage cases reported every day during the past 12 months, the number was down on the previous reporting period.
There were 2403 cases in the year to September 2018 which was down 7.5 per cent on the 2587 incidents in the previous 12 months.
A statement by NSW Police said despite recorded crime incidents generally remaining stable or falling, the number of people proceeded against to court by police across NSW during the last 24 months rose by nearly 3000 to 164,123.
“This is due to an increased number of prosecutions for drug and theft offences, intimidation and breaching AVOs [Apprehended Violence Order],” the statement read.
“The number of people to referred to a youth justice conference also increased by 43.8 per cent (from 584 in the 12 months to September 2017 to 840 in the 12 months to September 2018).”