Ward Welcomes Drop In Local Crime Stats

Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra and South Coast Gareth Ward MP has today commended local Police in both the South Coast Local Area Command and Lake Illawarra Local Area Command for their exceptional work in driving down local crime.

Mr Ward said that the most recent quarterly data from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) is a testament to the proactive work of local Police across the Illawarra and South Coast in detecting and preventing crime.

“Locally, it is very reassuring to see downward trends in the following major crime categories in the 24 months to September 2018:

• Break and enter non-dwelling is down9% (Shellharbour City Council)
• Steal from motor vehicle is down4% (Shellharbour City Council)
• Malicious damage to property is down0% (Shoalhaven City Council)

“The New South Wales Government has also taken a major step to fortify the force into the future with the recent investment of more than $583 million over four years to deliver 1,500 additional Police,” he said.

“This will ensure we are not only able to maintain the current level of service and protection the community expects, but can also meet emerging crime-trends head-on.

“Our local Police officers do a remarkable job of attending to incidents, targeting criminals and supporting victims of crime, but they can’t do it alone.

“I would like to acknowledge and thank Superintendent Dean Smith from the Lake Illawarra Local Area Command and Superintendent Stephen Hegarty from the South Coast Local Area Command and the local Police officers in both Commands who work hard day in, day out to serve and protect our local communities.

“I would like to thank local residents for doing their bit by reporting crime, working closely with our local Police officers and remaining vigilant,” Mr Ward concluded.