Latest crime statistics show the total number of offences in South Australia has dropped by 5 per cent in the rolling year to February.
It's the sixth consecutive decrease in the rate of crime, with year on year falls of 3 per cent in both the January statistics and December 2024 period.
The rolling yearly data to February reveals house break-ins are down for the eighth consecutive time, dropping a further 7 per cent.
There has also been another significant decrease in the robbery and related offences category, down 15 per cent, after a 20 per cent decline in the January period.
It follows the success of a recent SAPOL operation, Operation Sentinel, targeting repeat offenders committing robberies and other offences across the city.
It resulted in seven individuals being charged with a raft of serious offences, including aggravated robbery, aggravated assault and illegal use of a motor vehicle. All have been refused bail.
Shop theft has also decreased for a fourth time, dropping 8 per cent in the February period, following the expansion of anti-shoplifting initiative, Operation Measure, which has added an extra eight officers to its ranks.
Reported car theft has also decreased by 11 per cent, while theft from a vehicle is down by 22 per cent.
The number of homicides has continued to drop too, with a 64 per cent decrease in reported offences in the February period, from 25 to 9.
As put by Stephen Mullighan
It's pleasing to see robbery and related offences are continuing to decrease, as SAPOL expands its resources in key areas on the back of significant State Government investment.
$82 million dollars has been allocated to hire an additional 189 Police Security Officers, to return sworn officers to frontline duties.
This has resulted in the expansion of key operations and the creation of a new Youth and Street Gangs Taskforce, to crackdown on repeat offenders.
As put by Acting Assistant Commissioner (Metropolitan Service), John de Candia
The results reflect the proactive work being done by frontline officers across all of our policing districts.
Identifying the recidivist offenders responsible for a significant number of these offences and then targeting them with specific operations to uncover the depth of their offending, gathering the necessary evidence and then charging them accordingly is paying dividends.
In a number of these matters the courts have recognised their serious level of offending and they have been refused bail which contributes to a reduction in further offending.
