July Crime Stats

Police are investigating a crime series in which nine ATMs have been targeted by thieves – five of them ramraids using stolen vehicles.

The crime series, which started in September last year, has contributed to the minor rise in theft and property related offences recorded in the rolling year crime statistics to July.

Assistant Commissioner (Metropolitan Operations Service) Scott Duval said investigations into the crime series were continuing to determine if they were all linked.

“There are common factors in many of the incidents, such as the method of accessing the ATM which involves using stolen vehicles which are then found burnt out afterwards,” he said.

“We are following positive lines of inquiry in these investigations, but we would encourage anyone who recognises any of the vehicles or the individuals in security camera images to contact police.”

The most recent incident in the crime series occurred last month when a white utility was used in an unsuccessful ramraid robbery targeting an ATM at a St Agnes shopping centre. Similar ramraids – several of them successful – have occurred at Blair Athol, Craigmore, Kersbrook and Woodcroft.

Other incidents in which ATMs have been broken into and cash stolen have occurred at Smithfield Plains, Mt Pleasant, Salisbury North and St Clair.

The July rolling year crime statistics reveal the level of house break-ins in the period is almost static with a decrease of 20 offences – 5,728 offences compared with 5,748 in the corresponding period. Non-residential break-ins increased by 138 offences, from 3,499 to 3,637 in the latest period.

The number of family and domestic abuse related offences reported to police has continued to escalate with another significant increase recorded. The rolling year figures show an increase of 15 per cent – from 11,228 offences to 12,914 in the latest period.

This increase follows a 16 per cent increase in the June 2023 to June 2024 rolling figures, a 15 per cent increase in the May 2023 to May 2024 figures and a 13 per cent increase in the April 2023 to April 2024 figures.

The July rolling year figures reveal the number of reported shop thefts has continued to decline as ongoing police operations continue to target recidivist offenders.

While 18,103 offences were reported – an increase of 1,526 offences over the corresponding period – the nine per cent increase is the fifth successive decrease shown over the rolling year periods.