BOCSAR boss warns on NSW ice scourge

NSW crime rates have either frozen or fallen across a number of categories but the latest report from BOCSAR comes with a warning on methamphetamine.

A police officer

New statistics show a record number of amphetamine-related arrests in NSW over the past two years. (AAP)

The ice scourge is the biggest problem on the crime front with new statistics showing a record number of amphetamine-related arrests in NSW over the past two years.

The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) report on NSW Recorded Crime Statistics, released on Thursday, shows that the statewide trend for stealing related crimes went down in the two years to December 2014.

Four-year trends suggest NSW residents' chances of being robbed, attacked or losing a car to theft all went down.

"In fact in the case of robbery with a firearm, you're as safe as records go back," BOCSAR director Don Weatherburn said.

The only major robbery offence trending up was stealing from a dwelling, which rose 3.2 per cent.

But domestic-related assaults rose over that four-year period and both the BOCSAR boss and the NSW Police Commissioner warn that assaults and robberies in the state could increase if drug crime, which is surging, isn't curbed.

A record 7,058 people were arrested for possessing or using amphetamines in 2014, which represents a jump of 36.3 per cent compared with 2013 figures.

"The big problem on the crime front is methamphetamine," Dr Weatherburn said.

"We've got record numbers of arrests for amphetamine possession, record numbers of arrests for dealing and trafficking in amphetamine and record numbers of amphetamine seizures at the customs barrier.

"It's amazing that none of this has pushed up assaults and robbery - but if current trends continue, we certainly can't rule that possibility out."

Amphetamine is not the only drug type causing concern.

Crimes involving possession or use of cocaine, narcotics and cannabis all rose over the same period - by as much as 31.2 per cent in the case of cocaine.

NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said NSW Police will continue to keep pressure on the increasing illegal drug trade.

"We have quite deliberately set out to disrupt the availability of drugs in the community," Mr Scipione said in a statement on Thursday.

"The drug problem is getting worse and we all need to work together to find solutions."

The BOCSAR report also showed in the two years to 2014 there was a whopping 488.6 per cent rise in the number of recorded prostitution offences.


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