Trends in Recorded Crime Statistics, 2004 to 2008
 

Offence category	Annual percentage change 2007 to 2008	Average annual percentage change 2004 to 2008
Murder*	N.A.	N.A.
Assault - domestic violence related	Stable	Up by 7.4%
Assault - non-domestic violence related	Stable	Stable
Sexual assault	Stable	Stable
Indecent assault, act of indecency and other sexual offences	Stable	Stable
Robbery without a weapon	Stable	Down by 9.8%
Robbery with a firearm	N.A.	N.A.
Robbery with a weapon not a firearm	Stable	Stable
Break and enter - dwelling	Stable	Down by 12.3%
Break and enter - non-dwelling	Down by 17.0%	Down by 11.6%
Motor vehicle theft	Down by 29.7%	Down by 11.8%
Steal from motor vehicle	Stable	Down by 7.4%
Steal from retail store	Stable	Stable
Steal from dwelling	Stable	Stable
Steal from person	Stable	Down by 14.8%
Fraud	Up by 39.4%	Stable
Malicious damage to property	Stable	Stable

 
This table shows the results of statistical tests for a significant upward or downward monthly trend in the number of criminal incidents * recorded over 2 years and 5 years respectively, for selected offence categories. Where the trend is significant, the annual percentage change in the number of incidents is shown.

"N.A." indicates that the number of incidents recorded was too small for a reliable trend test to be performed.

* For murder, the trend test is applied to the monthly number of recorded victims.