The rates of sexual assault, domestic violence and indecent assault in Orange are rising, official figures have revealed.
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The latest Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research report for March shows while theft and property offences are down, sex crimes and assaults are up.
Domestic violence is up by 7.3 per cent in a year, sexual assault is up by 29 per cent while indecent assaults are up by 37.3 per cent.
The figures show the number of domestic-violence related assaults rose from 246 to 264 from March 2017 to March 2018, sexual assaults were up from 55 to 71 while indecent assaults, acts of indecency and other sexual offences were up from 67 to 92.
The rate of sexual assault and indecent assaults were 2.3 times the state average.
In contrast the number of break and enters, motor vehicle thefts, stealing from motor vehicles, stealing from dwellings, malicious damage to property and stealing from people were all significantly less than a year ago.
At a meeting of the Orange and Cabonne Shire Community Safety Precinct Committee in Orange on Thursday mayor Reg Kidd said it was vital the final funds for a crisis centre for victims of domestic violence were found quickly.
“The crisis centre needs to be built,” he said.
“We’re towards the pointy end [of finding funding] now.
“There is an opportunity for us as councillors to put pressure on the government.
“It is very, very close and it is part of the solution.”
Member for Orange Phil Donato has called for more police to target crime.
“Just this week I delivered a notice of motion into the NSW parliament calling upon more police for Orange and regional NSW to target offences in our community such as domestic violence, road trauma and illicit drugs,” he said.
“According to Sergeant Tony Borland, Orange Police Association representative, Orange has one of the lowest police to population ratios in NSW,” Mr Donato said.
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