STATISTICS have been released showing crime in the Tweed Shire is falling, and Tweed police are keen to encourage the trend.

The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research has released documents which show 28 out of 30 crime categories were either stable or falling at the end of 2010.

Instances of murder were so low the statistics could not be made into a percentage, with two murder charges in 2010, one in 2009 and one in 2008.

Tweed Byron Commander Superintendent Stuart Wilkins said Tweed police would be increasing their visibility to combat instances of break-and-enter and sexual assault which were still on the rise.

The statistics revealed a 26.3% increase in break-and-enter offences over the past 24 months and an increase of 8.1% in sexual assault offences over the past five years.

“Having most crime categories either stable or dropping in the past 24 months means we’re going okay,” Supt Wilkins said.

“It shows we have very little crime here.

“We’ve looked very closely in the last couple of months at these issues (break-ins and sexual assaults) and we’re creating a very strong high police visibility presence as a result.”

Supt Wilkins said a large number of break-and-enter instances were due to houses and cars left unlocked.

“A lot of these break-and-enters are people stealing pushbikes or power tools from open garages because people simply aren’t locking their houses.

“As much as we would like to be relaxed in our communities, the easiest way to prevent break-and-enters is to make it as difficult as possible for people to break in.”

Supt Wilkins also announced Tweed police had been increasing their visibility at night over the past four months in an attempt to combat instances of sexual assault.

“I advise people to stick together when they go out at night,” he said.

“Look after your friends and don’t take chances hitch-hiking.

“Know where your friends are, and who they are, particularly when alcohol is involved.”

Supt Wilkins also said he hoped the apparent increase in sexual-assault offences was due to an increase in the offence being reported, rather than more incidents occurring.

“We want people to know that we will take strong and affirmative action,” he said.

“We need the support and courage of the victims to come forward.”

NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione announced the lowest NSW crime rates in 20 years.

“It is great to see police making such great inroads in relation to serious crime,” Comr Scipione said.

“There figures indicate our crime strategies are working.”

The commissioner identified sexual assault as one of the crime categories police would continue to particularly target.

“This is a terrible crime, most often perpetrated behind closed doors in homes by people known to the victims,” he said.

“I think we are noticing a change, with more victims willing to come forward and we need to reassure people that they will be safer reporting such crimes to police.”