Crime across the Territory has continued to fall across a range of offences, with the latest figures showing reductions in overall crime, property offences, house break-ins and motor vehicle theft in the 12 months to August 2026 compared with the 12 months to August 2025.
Total offences across the Territory fell by 10%, total property offences decreased by 13%, and sexual assault offences dropped by 16%.
The figures also show significant reductions in burglary offences, with house break-ins down 27% and commercial break-ins down 29% Territory-wide.
Motor vehicle theft and related offences fell by 25%, while property damage offences decreased by 10%.
Burglary offences recorded substantial reductions in several major centres. In Darwin, commercial break-ins fell by 42%, and house break-ins decreased by 11%, while Palmerston recorded a 25% reduction in commercial break-ins and an 18% reduction in house break-ins.
Alice Springs recorded some of the most significant improvements, with total offences falling by 31% and total property offences down 41%.
Sexual assault offences decreased by 30%, while house break-ins fell by 55% and commercial break-ins dropped by 52%. Motor vehicle theft and related offences decreased by 55%, other theft offences fell by 26%, and property damage offences were down 42%.
Katherine saw house break-ins decrease by 25% and commercial break-ins fall by 32%.
However, the results were not all positive. House break-ins increased by 17% in Tennant Creek and 126% in Nhulunbuy, highlighting the need for continued attention to local crime trends.
The figures also show encouraging reductions in assault offences across much of the Territory. Assault offences decreased by 6%, domestic violence assault offences fell by 10%, and alcohol-related assault offences declined by 13%.
Darwin recorded a 10% reduction in assault offences, with domestic violence assaults down 11% and alcohol-related assaults also down 11%.
In Alice Springs, assault offences fell by 9%, domestic violence assaults decreased by 7%, and alcohol-related assaults declined by 4%.
Katherine recorded a 28% reduction in alcohol-related assault offences, alongside decreases in overall assaults and domestic violence assaults.
Tennant Creek also recorded significant reductions, with assault offences down 24%, domestic violence assaults down 26% and alcohol-related assaults down 25%.
While these figures show progress, increases in assault offences in Nhulunbuy and slight increases in Palmerston demonstrate that crime trends continue to vary between communities.
Commander Shaun Gill said, "The latest August figures show positive reductions in major offence categories across the Northern Territory, particularly property crime, burglary and motor vehicle theft.
“We know that Katherine has also experienced some highly visible car thefts and antisocial behaviour over the last two weeks, but the current yearly trends are indicating that these crimes are not at the level we have previously seen.
"While the results are encouraging, the increases recorded in some locations underline the importance of maintaining a focus on community safety and responding to the specific challenges faced by individual communities."
