ACT Policing has released its latest quarterly CrimeStatistics for 2012, which show the majority of offences reported to police have decreased when compared with the same period in 2011.

The fourth quarter of 2012 produced a decline in assault, sexual assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, property damage and road collisions with injuries but an increase in thefts (excluding motor vehicle thefts) when compared with the same period (October to December) in 2011.

Property damage, which includes damage by fire, explosion and/or graffiti, has decreased overall in the ACT from 1436 (Oct-Dec 2011) to 1399 (Oct-Dec 2012). Of note, property damage incidents in Tuggeranong have decreased 27.5 per cent over the same period, from 406 in October-December 2011, to 295 reported offences in the October-December 2012 quarter.

A yearly analysis of the CrimeStatistics also indicates most offences are continuing to trend downwards in the ACT, when comparing with 2011. Only motor vehicle theft and road collisions with injury are up, increasing 12.5 per cent and 1.8 per cent respectively.

Acting Superintendent of ACT Policing Intelligence Chris Meagher said it was pleasing to see the crime statistics are continuing to generally trend downwards, and that police are now focusing resources to address the recent increase in motor vehicle thefts.

“As a primarily intelligence-led police force, we rely on these statistics and reports from members of the public to focus our resources appropriately,” Acting Superintendent Meagher said.

“The CrimeStatistics are a useful tool for police, and provides the community access to information to see what is happening in their neighbourhood, first-hand.”

In 2012 ACT Policing Operations dispatched police to more than 90,000 priority One, Two, and Three requests for police assistance. ACT Policing Operations took over 162,000 telephone calls in 2012, including 28,000 calls to Triple Zero.

The latest interactive CrimeStatistics can be found at police.act.gov.au.