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 Willoughby'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 Willoughby'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 Willoughby compares
- 10 of 12 major offences below the NSW rateTwo sit above NSW: steal from retail store (1.81×) and break & enter non-dwelling (1.11×). Steal-from-retail reflects Chatswood being a major regional retail centre — a large concentration of shops relative to the resident population.
- Local policing
- North Shore Police Area CommandConfirm the exact Police Area 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 | 537 | 674.3 | 372.5 | 1.81× |
| Other stealing offences | 291 | 365.4 | 463.1 | 0.79× |
| Malicious damage to property | 224 | 281.3 | 554.7 | 0.51× |
| Non-DV related assault | 222 | 278.8 | 401.8 | 0.69× |
| Steal from motor vehicle | 127 | 159.5 | 295.5 | 0.54× |
| Domestic violence related assault | 107 | 134.4 | 451.9 | 0.30× |
| Break & enter (dwelling) | 107 | 134.4 | 212.3 | 0.63× |
| Break & enter (non-dwelling) | 81 | 101.7 | 91.8 | 1.11× |
| Sexual touching & other sexual offences | 59 | 74.1 | 104.1 | 0.71× |
| Sexual assault | 45 | 56.5 | 154.4 | 0.37× |
| Motor vehicle theft | 37 | 46.5 | 171.2 | 0.27× |
| Robbery | 9 | 11.3 | 20.6 | 0.55× |
Major offences in Willoughby 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' = Willoughby rate ÷ NSW rate.
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. Steal-from-retail is counted where the offence happens, not where offenders live, so a major retail centre like Chatswood records more of these incidents relative to its resident population. 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 — Willoughby 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.