Crime & safety
The authoritative source for crime in NSW is the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR), which publishes recorded incidents reported to or detected by NSW Police. Below are Waverley's 12 major offences for the 12 months from April 2025 to March 2026 (the year ending March 2026), with each rate (per 100,000 people) placed next to the NSW rate. The 'vs NSW' column is Waverley's rate divided by the NSW rate: 1.0 means the same as NSW, below 1.0 is lower than NSW, above 1.0 is higher.
New to these terms? Read them in plain English
- Rate per 100,000
- Crime counts adjusted for population, so different-sized places can be compared.
- Compared to NSW (×)
- How the local rate compares to the NSW average (1.0 = the same).
- Recorded incident
- An incident reported to police — not a proven charge or conviction.
- Major offence categories
- The high-level offence groups official rates are calculated for.
- Police Area Command / Police District
- The local NSW Police command responsible for an area.
- BOCSAR
- The official source of NSW recorded-crime data.
- Reporting period
- April 2025 to March 2026 (12 months)Latest BOCSAR recorded-crime release.
- How Waverley compares
- 9 of 12 major offences below the NSW rateHigher than NSW on retail and other theft; lowest relative rates: robbery 0.40×, steal from motor vehicle 0.48×, break & enter (dwelling) 0.54×.
- Context for the theft figures
- Rates are per resident, but Bondi draws large non-resident crowdsSee the note below — the two elevated offences reflect Bondi Beach and Bondi Junction's major retail, tourism and nightlife visitor base measured against a smaller resident population.
- Local policing
- Eastern Suburbs Police Area CommandConfirm the exact command boundary on the BOCSAR mapping tool, as parts of the LGA can sit near neighbouring commands.
- Latest figures & other areas
- BOCSAR Crime Mapping ToolBuild a tailored report and compare any LGA to the NSW rate.
| Offence | Incidents | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steal from retail store | 519 | 712.4 | 372.5 | 1.91× |
| Other stealing offences | 470 | 645.1 | 463.1 | 1.39× |
| Malicious damage to property | 265 | 363.7 | 554.7 | 0.66× |
| Non-DV related assault | 263 | 361.0 | 401.8 | 0.90× |
| Domestic violence related assault | 190 | 260.8 | 451.9 | 0.58× |
| Motor vehicle theft | 114 | 156.5 | 171.2 | 0.91× |
| Steal from motor vehicle | 103 | 141.4 | 295.5 | 0.48× |
| Break & enter (dwelling) | 83 | 113.9 | 212.3 | 0.54× |
| Sexual touching & other sexual offences | 78 | 107.1 | 104.1 | 1.03× |
| Sexual assault | 72 | 98.8 | 154.4 | 0.64× |
| Break & enter (non-dwelling) | 42 | 57.6 | 91.8 | 0.63× |
| Robbery | 6 | 8.2 | 20.6 | 0.40× |
Major offences in Waverley vs the NSW rate, per 100,000 population, for the 12 months from April 2025 to March 2026. Source: BOCSAR LGA & NSW recorded-crime tables. 'vs NSW' = Waverley rate ÷ NSW rate.
Waverley's two above-NSW offences — steal from retail store (1.91×) and other stealing offences (1.39×) — reflect the character of the area rather than a like-for-like resident comparison: Bondi Beach, Bondi Junction and the coastal strip draw very large numbers of visitors, shoppers and nightlife patrons, while the crime rate divides incidents only by the roughly 73,000 residents. High-traffic retail and beach precincts elsewhere show the same pattern. BOCSAR calculates rates only for these 'major offences', so high-volume justice offences (e.g. breach of bail or AVO) aren't rate-compared here. These are recorded incidents, not convictions, and counts move with population and reporting. For the latest figures, trends and other offence types, use BOCSAR's tools below.
Sources — check it yourself
- BOCSAR — Waverley LGA crime table (XLSX) · Apr 2025 to Mar 2026
- BOCSAR — NSW recorded-crime table (XLSX) · Apr 2025 to Mar 2026
- BOCSAR — Crime statistics by LGA · Updated quarterly
- BOCSAR — Crime Mapping Tool (compare to NSW)
Figures are current as at the dates shown and may change — always confirm with the linked source. See the notice at the bottom of the page for full details and how to report a correction.