Snowy River
Safety
What the results tell us for Snowy River
Snowy River Shire residents feel that they live in a relatively safe community. This is supported by crime statistics for major offences there (see Table 1), which show no murders, attempted murders or manslaughters were recorded during the period 2000–03.
The shire's assault figures, which are about the same rates as overall NSW per capita rates, are relatively high for a rural area. Figures for malicious damage to property in the shire are very high. Council reports that vandalism increases significantly during the winter period, with the majority of it being damage to signage and broken pathway lighting. Council is concerned about the anti-social behaviour that is causing the damage, and the cost to the shire's residents in replacing these items.
The tourist influx in the winter period results in safety being an issue of higher concern to residents at that time. Concerns range from personal safety through to increased traffic flows in the shire. According to the shire's social plan "Anecdotal evidence suggests that during the season many young women do not feel safe walking the streets, or even walking alone through some of the accommodation complexes. Health workers and police confirm that the incidence of drink spiking increases dramatically during the winter months and that the victims are predominantly—although not exclusively—female." (Snowy River Shire Council 2004).
Council implemented alcohol free zones in the public areas of Jindabyne township in August 2003; they are due to expire in August 2006. Feedback from the local police is that these zones are a very useful tool in allowing police to warn people who are drinking and acting in an anti-social manner. The police report that usually a warning is sufficient and on the spot fines are rarely issued. The local branch of the Australian Hotels Association is proactive in patron management and the provision of 'Booze Buses' during the winter period. Other than these initiatives, there are no other strategies reported for the shire that are actively promoting safety and safety issues.
| Type of offence | Number of offences in each year | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | |
| Homicide | |||||||
| Murder* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Attempted murder | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Murder accessory, conspiracy | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Manslaughter - not driving* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Manslaughter - driving* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - |
| Driving causing death^ # | - | - | - | 0 | |||
| Assault | 73 | 79 | 87 | 69 | 86 | 88 | 79 |
| Sexual offences | |||||||
| Sexual assault | 1 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 3 |
| Indecent assault, act of indecency | 2 | 4 | 2 | 18 | 1 | 9 | 2 |
| Other sexual offences | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| Abduction and kidnapping | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Robbery | |||||||
| Robbery without a weapon | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Robbery with a firearm | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robbery with a weapon not a firearm | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other offences against the person | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 8 |
| Theft | |||||||
| Break and enter - dwelling | 25 | 27 | 34 | 39 | 30 | 39 | 41 |
| Break and enter - non-dwelling | 60 | 54 | 47 | 66 | 71 | 74 | 31 |
| Possess implements | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Receiving | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Goods in custody | 7 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 12 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 18 | 16 | 10 | 21 | 14 | 10 | 15 |
| Steal from motor vehicle | 43 | 69 | 45 | 90 | 71 | 67 | 62 |
| Steal from retail store | 22 | 16 | 14 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 28 |
| Steal from dwelling | 40 | 37 | 45 | 34 | 38 | 35 | 27 |
| Steal from person | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 12 | 14 |
| Stock theft | 2 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Fraud | 57 | 42 | 15 | 40 | 41 | 27 | 54 |
| Other theft | 149 | 239 | 220 | 239 | 218 | 230 | 227 |
| Demand money with menaces | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Extortion, blackmail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arson | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| Malicious damage to property | 108 | 128 | 159 | 157 | 177 | 160 | 118 |
| Drug offences | |||||||
| Possession and/or use of cocaine | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Possession and/or use of narcotics | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Possession and/or use of cannabis | 45 | 43 | 41 | 32 | 29 | 16 | 42 |
| Possession and/or use of other drugs | 0 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 14 | 18 |
| Dealing, trafficking in cocaine | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dealing, trafficking in narcotics | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dealing, trafficking in cannabis | 7 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Dealing, trafficking in other drugs | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 2 |
| Cultivating cannabis | 17 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 3 |
| Importing drugs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other drug offences | 12 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 11 |
| Offensive behaviour | |||||||
| Offensive conduct | 17 | 8 | 18 | 16 | 6 | 15 | 10 |
| Offensive language | 11 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 16 |
| Prostitution offences | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Betting and gaming offences | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 3 |
| Weapons offences | 15 | 9 | 11 | 21 | 15 | 28 | 13 |
| Against justice procedures | |||||||
| Escapee - Corrective Services custody | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Escapee - Police custody | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Escapee - juvenile detention | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Escapee - other custody | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Breach Apprehended Violence Order | 5 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 8 |
| Breach bail conditions | 1 | 1 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| Breach of recognizance | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Fail to appear | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Other offences against justice procedures | 17 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 6 |
| Driving offences | |||||||
| Culpable driving | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| PCA | 68 | 80 | 118 | 100 | 81 | 112 | - |
| Drive while disqualified | 13 | 16 | 17 | 29 | 42 | 20 | - |
| Drive manner/speed dangerous | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 8 | - |
| Other driving offences | 36 | 38 | 50 | 112 | 1208 | 1979 | - |
| Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs^ | - | - | - | 3 | |||
| Dangerous or negligent driving^ | - | - | - | 66 | |||
| Driving while licence cancelled or suspended^ | - | - | - | 22 | |||
| Driving without a licence^ | - | - | - | 84 | |||
| Driving licence offences, nec^ | - | - | - | 133 | |||
| Registration offences^ | - | - | - | 78 | |||
| Roadworthiness offences^ | - | - | - | 1 | |||
| Exceeding the prescribed content of alcohol limit^ | - | - | - | 130 | |||
| Exceeding legal speed limit^ | - | - | - | 1250 | |||
| Parking offences^ | - | - | - | 1 | |||
| Regulatory driving offences, nec^ | - | - | - | 284 | |||
| Other offences | 64 | 98 | 108 | 132 | 108 | 127 | 156 |
Source: Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research;
Notes: nec = not elsewhere classified; * Number of recorded victims; ^ Number of legal actions commenced, including referrals to court and infringement notices; # In July 2003, NSW Police changed the way they classify traffic incidents. The incidence of specific driving offences could no longer be determined directly from police incident categories. In response to this change, from 2003 onwards, the unit of measurement used by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research when reporting driving offences was the number of legal actions commenced by police rather than the number of incidents recorded. Legal actions include infringement notices, court referrals, formal cautions under the Young Offenders Act and Youth Conference referrals. From 2003 onwards, the driving offences reported accord with those in the Australian Standard Offence Classification (ASOC).
About the data
Crime statistics are from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, viewed 19 April 2005, at http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/bocsar1.nsf/pages/lga_alphalist.
Recorded crime statistics represent incidents recorded by the police (see explanatory notes on the website http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/pages/bocsar_lga_notes).
Information on safety and safety issues obtained from Snowy River Shire Council.
References
Snowy River Shire Council (2004) Social Plan 2005–2009, viewed 15 April 2005, at http://www.snowyriver.nsw.gov.au/files/1328/File/srsc-social-plan-2005v8.pdf.