The number of crimes being committed in the Blue Mountains has stabilised the latest crime statistics reveal.
The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research’s quarterly update shows most crimes are stable, including break and enters and thefts from motor vehicles.
Domestic violence related assault was down 19.7 per cent on 2016 figures, with 224 reports in 2017/18 to 279 in 2016/17.
But possession and/or use of cannabis was up 33 per cent from 100 incidents in 2016/17 to 133 in 2017/18.
“These [cannabis] figures are as a result of detection through police interaction with the community and discovery can also occur when attending a person’s house for another reason and the cannabis is in plain sight, or through vehicle stops for traffic matters etc,” said Blue Mountains Police Acting Commander Detective Chief Inspector Dietmar Almer.
Malicious damage to property had also increased, up 34.8 per cent from 512 cases in 2016/17 to 690 in 2017/18.
Detective Chief Insp Almer said this category included graffiti, which was regularly reported by Sydney Trains, and also the Blue Mountains Graffiti Alliance which locates and then removes the material.
“Whilst in real terms there has been an increase in the reports of malicious damage offences, the figures are below the business plan targets set for the command,” Chief Insp Almer said.