Member for Castle Hill Ray Williams has commended police in the Hills Local Area Command for their exceptional work in fighting local crime.

Mr Williams 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 in detecting and preventing crime.

In the 24 months to September 2016, only one of the 17 major offence categories showed a significant upward trend across NSW, while eight categories showed downward trends.

Mr Williams said local statistics from the Castle Hill electorate followed the state-wide trends, with 4 offences remaining stable or trending down.

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

• Break and enter dwelling is down 20.4%
• Motor vehicle theft is down 22.4%
• Steal from dwelling is down 17.0%
• Malicious damage to property is down 11.6%

“This latest data from BOCSAR reflects the commitment and dedication of our local police to keeping our community safe.”

“I would like to thank the community for doing their bit by reporting crime, working closely with our local police officers, and remaining vigilant,” Mr Williams said.

Despite the very encouraging trends evident in the quarterly update, steal from a retail store has now trended upwards for five successive quarters, while fraud has risen across seven regional areas, capturing crimes such as fraudulent use of credit cards and failing to pay for fuel at service stations.

“The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government is determined to turn these statistics around, and will ensure police across the state have the resources they need to investigate and prosecute these crimes.

“The upcoming introduction of Regional and Metropolitan Deputy Commissioners as part of the NSW Government’s reforms to the NSW Police Force will ensure high-quality, targeted policing to reduce local crime trends.”