A COMMUNITY safety precinct meeting in Scone this week revealed the Upper Hunter Shire has the lowest crime rate in the region.
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Figures produced by the Hunter Valley LAC showed the northern area of the Upper Hunter had minimal crime compared to both Muswellbrook and Singleton.
The domestic violence category for this region over a six-month period from April to October 2015 included 42 non-offences, 17 assaults, six breaches of Apprehended Violence Orders (AVOs) and 11 other incidents.
In comparison, Muswellbrook had 214 non-offences, 52 assaults, and 48 breaches of AVOs during the same timeframe.
From October to November 10 this year, four per cent of assaults occurred in the Upper Hunter, while 59 per cent were in Muswellbrook, and 37 in Singleton.
Seven per cent of break and enters were in the Upper Hunter, compared to 49 per cent in Muswellbrook, and 44 in Singleton.
The meeting, which was presented by Inspector Guy Guiana, discussed numerous incidents of malicious damage.
According to statistics from October to November 10, incidents of malicious damage in the Upper Hunter stand at four per cent, with Muswellbrook at 67 per cent, and Singleton 29.
Hunter Valley LAC’s Youth Liaison Officer Sheree Gray said the community’s support had helped police make at least two arrests for graffiti-related incidents.
Officer Gray also said a Graffiti Removal Day in Muswellbrook last month had managed to deter offenders from retagging the sites.
Meanwhile, incidents of stealing from October to November 10 had Muswellbrook at 54 per cent, the Upper Hunter four, and Singleton 42 per cent.
“Overall the statistics or percentage of offences occurring across the command are very small in the Upper Hunter Shire,” Inspector Guiana told the Advocate.
“This can be attributed to a predominately rural population that doesn’t have big town centres.
“That’s where most of the offences are occurring in the other sectors.”
Other matters discussed at the meeting included concerns over the supply of drugs within the Upper Hunter, and the prevalence of ice. Inspector Guiana said police needed the public to keep working with them.
“Our message is basically to keep reporting incidents to police regardless of how minor it is; without that we can’t address it,” he said.
Similar meetings are now expected to be held in Muswellbrook and Singleton.
