Tamworth is a region of NSW that is best known for its country music and horses, but unfortunately the area has also received attention for its high crime rates, with figures for some crimes rising well-above the national average in recent years.
While the rate of crime in Tamworth has been blamed on several factors, from out-of-control kids to a shortage of police officers, a number of preventative measures have been implemented in a bid to reduce the amount of criminal activity taking place.
Crime in the news
Tamworth has recently been in the news regarding the arrest of five alleged Rebels Motorcycle Club members last week. The arrests took place after police raided three properties as part of an investigation into the alleged supply of methamphetamines and amphetamines. As a result, the men were charged with a number of drug offences, including commercial supply of a prohibited drug.
A woman who was associated with the group was also arrested and granted bail after being charged with drug offences and hindering the discovery of evidence.
Other recent crimes that have been reported in Tamworth include a man who was charged with dangerous driving, including Skye’s Law offences, after allegedly being involved in the pursuit of a stolen vehicle around 40 kilometres outside town last week. The 25-year-old driver was chased by police after the vehicle he was allegedly driving was identified as stolen from Lithgow.
Also last week, two men were found guilty of aggravated robbery causing grievous bodily harm. The offence, which took place in 2013, involved an attack against a 20-year-old man that broke his jaw. The two men convicted were brothers, who also stole his wallet during the attack. The trial lasted six days before the verdict was given and sentencing will take place after a pre-sentencing report has been prepared.
It isn’t all assaults and robbery in Tamworth either. At the beginning of this month, a trial involving a co-director accused of defrauding a horse stud near Tamworth began in Sydney. The accused, Mr Rajesh Chimanlal Upa-dhyaya, has been charged with 14 counts of fraud regarding over 100 false invoices that were allegedly issued while he was a co-director of the Emirates Park horse stud.
Tamworth crime rate high in 2013
According to statistics from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR), some of the most prevalent crimes in Tamworth include sexual offences. In 2013, the Tamworth region was ranked 16th of 154 local government areas in NSW for sexual offences. While the trend in NSW was generally downward for break and enter offences, the rate in Tamworth increased sharply leading to a placing of 12th out of 154 local government areas.
Theft was another offence that ranked highly in Tamworth, with the region placing 11th in the state for its level of theft.
How much crime in Tamworth is there now?
More recent figures from BOCSAR, published in 2014, show that motor vehicle theft in Tamworth has gone up significantly by 37.7% where in other areas it has decreased or remained the same. Other theft offences have reduced, and there is no change in the rate of sexual assault.
It would appear from this information that the crime rate in Tamworth although not necessarily declining, is generally at least not rising as dramatically as it has in previous years, except for the offence of motor vehicle theft.
What measures have been taken to reduce crime in Tamworth?
The Tamworth Regional Crime Prevention Working Group was set up in 2013 in a bid to reduce the rate of crime in the area. The group includes local councillors, a representative from the NSW Attorney General’s department, as well as representatives from the domestic violence services sector and from the Aboriginal criminal justice services sector. It also includes three representatives of the Tamworth regional community. Its purpose is to advise the local council on priorities and issues related to crime prevention. It also oversees the implementation of the Tamworth Regional Crime Prevention Plan.
Some of the projects that the Working Group has been involved in include extending the Tamworth CBD CCTV coverage in locations which have been identified as being most in need. The group is also working on increasing awareness of domestic violence and sexual assault in the community through a program of toilet door stickers and domestic violence cards which encourage people affected to seek help from appropriate support services.
