All types of crime across the ACT fell by 8.8 per cent in the first four months of this year compared with the same period last year as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic brought about changes in recorded criminal activity.
One of the most significant falls in a common crime type over the four months was that of sexual assault, which dropped 45 per cent during the first four months of this year, compared with January to April last year.
However, that fall in recorded sexual assault is at odds with the experiences among front line agencies in this field, with the fear among agencies that sexual violence within relationships is on the rise but is not being reported because victims are finding it harder in the current lockdown environment to reach out for help.
As nightclubs, pubs and clubs in the inner north, which includes the busy areas of Civic, Braddon and Dickson, shut their doors to patrons due to coronavirus restrictions, assaults across the district plummeted.
Last month the inner north reported its lowest monthly number of assaults - 30 - since the police data became public and regularly reported online from January 2014.
Police "beats" foot patrols in the nightclub areas have now been largely suspended.
Across the once-busy district, there were 92 fewer assaults recorded over the four months, compared with the same period last year. Similarly, all crime types in the inner north fell 17.5 per cent.
As the "work from home" edict was issued in response to the coronavirus pandemic and came into effect for much of March and April this year, offenders were presented with far fewer opportunities to break into private homes.
Burglary offences across the ACT took a significant dive over the past four months, dropping 25.3 per cent compared with the same four-month period last year.
During April alone, burglary in the ACT fell by 28.7 per cent compared with the same month last year.
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Damage to property also fell during April, which included the Anzac Day long weekend when commonly there is a recorded spike in this offence type. Property damage almost halved during April this year, down from 421 for the month last year to 219 recorded last month.
One of the very few increases in crime type was motor vehicle theft, with 106 car thefts recorded in the four months this year, up from 79 over the same period this year.
However, all other types of theft fell across the territory by 13 per cent.
ACT police handed out 670 more traffic infringement notices in the four month period, an increase of 18 per cent over January to April last year.
Among the seven specific police districts identified in the published online data, Molonglo revealed the biggest jump in crime for the four-month period, which would be largely attributed to the rapid increase in the area's population.
All recorded offences in the Molonglo district jumped from just 50 in January to April 2019, to 203 in the same period this year.
Meanwhile, reported crime in Gungahlin rose 2.6 per cent and Woden's crime increase was by just 14 offences.
By contrast, reported crime in Gungahlin rose just 2.6 per cent and Woden's crime increase was by just 14 offences.
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