The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research has released its latest quarterly update today.
Property-related offences in regional NSW have dropped by 8.9 per cent over the past two years to July 2025, with some areas seeing even larger decreases.
Far West and Orana lead the way with a 22 per cent fall, while the Riverina has seen a 16.6 per cent decline.
Across Regional NSW, crimes like break and enters, robbery, stealing from cars and malicious damage have all decreased by at least 7 per cent.
Far West, Orana, and Central West have recorded significant drops in break and enters, motor vehicle thefts and stealing from cars, with some reductions exceeding 30 per cent.
While these numbers suggest progress, we know they do not tell the whole story.
People in many regional communities continue to feel unsafe in their homes.
The recent alleged assault on a motelier is a sobering reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by those living in rural and regional NSW. This alleged incident is just one of a troubling series of incidents.
Police efforts under Operation Soteria and Operation Regional Mongoose have led to many arrests and charges. New measures to make it harder for young repeat offenders to get bail are in place, and youth detention numbers have increased as a result.
A review of doli incapax, the legal presumption of incapacity to understand wrong-doing, for children aged under 14 is underway, led by former Supreme Court Justice Geoffrey Bellew SC and former Deputy Commissioner of NSW Police, Jeff Loy APM. This demonstrates the Government's commitment to tackling youth offending.
We understand that these statistics offer little comfort to those who have been victims of crime and those who feel vulnerable and scared.
We hear those concerns clearly and know there is more work to do.
We are committed to doing what it takes to make regional NSW safer for everyone.
