SYDNEY, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- The number of assaults on police officers in the Australian state of South Australia has surged by 25 percent, despite declines in several other categories of crime, according to official statistics released on Monday.
The latest figures released by South Australia Police showed that assaults on officers while on duty increased from 635 to 793 in the rolling 12-month period ending in August 2026, marking the 12th consecutive increase in such offences.
Meanwhile, the number of robberies fell by 13 percent, from 501 to 438, following a 16 percent decline in the previous reporting period.
Homicide and related offences dropped by 21 percent, from 53 to 42, while thefts from retail premises decreased by 3 percent to 21,757 incidents.
However, residential break-ins rose from 5,584 to 5,947, while non-residential break-ins increased from 3,391 to 3,513. Sexual offences also edged up from 2,704 to 2,718.
South Australia Police Assistant Commissioner David O'Donovan attributed the continued decline in robberies to police efforts targeting repeat offenders, including securing their detention or imposing strict bail conditions.
He said police remained aware of the trauma experienced by robbery victims and would continue working to reduce such offences. ■