PETROL THEFT AND DRUG USE ON THE RISE

Fraud, especially service station fraud involving petrol theft, is on
the rise in NSW while the use of cocaine and ecstasy is also
increasing, the latest crime figures from the NSW Bureau of Crime
Statistics and Research reveal.

Possession or use of cocaine has increased by 37.5 per cent and
ecstasy use is up 55.4 per cent while offensive conduct, breaching
bail conditions, failing to appear and transport regulatory offences
have also increased.

The bureau's director, Don Weatherburn, said the rise in illicit drug
offences were likely to reflect a combination of increased illicit
drug use and increased drug law enforcement.

The NSW Police Commissioner, Andrew Scipione, said he disagreed with
Mr Weatherburn about the drugs statistics.

He said the figures showed an increase in drug arrests as police had
stepped up activity in this area. Hospital statistics did not
indicate an increase in drug taking, he said.

The Minister for Police, Tony Kelly, said the crime rates had fallen
- - singling out a dramatic drop in robberies with and without a
firearm - because more criminals were being imprisoned. This had also
gone hand in hand with an increase in police numbers, he said.

Mr Scipione said he was concerned about the continuingly large number
of petrol thefts, which, he said, had not fallen as quickly as the
price of petrol. He had spoken to the service stations' association,
asking them to introduce a "pay before you pump" scheme, but so far
this had not happened.

The statistics show the incidents of domestic violence have dropped
and stealing from a motor vehicle is stable.

Mr Kelly said there was some significant decreases in crime,
including a 26 per cent reduction in robbery with a firearm and a
19.2 per cent reduction in robbery with other weapons.

"These figures send one clear message to those who continue to commit
crime in our community - you will be caught and charged," Mr Kelly said.

Mr Kelly said that over the past five years there had been
significant downward trends in motor vehicle theft, residential and
business break and enters and theft from a person.

"The figures also show that fraud is one crime category to record an
increase of 19.1 per cent over the past two years, largely due to the
increase in petrol prices and service station drive-offs," Mr Kelly said.

"To combat this trend of fuel theft the government has been advising
service station operators to adopt a pay-before-you-pump policy."