Warm weather blamed for crime increase

"BETTER weather" has been blamed for a 20 per cent increase in reported crime in the Southside in May.

During May 2010 there were 238 incidents reported, a rise on the April figure of 186.

Community beat officer Yocksan Bell blamed the increase, in part, to a spell of warm, dry weather.

Of the incidents reported, only 13 were graded as emergencies requiring immediate attention. A total of 81 were responded to within one hour and the remainder were routine calls.

Significant incidents included two males, aged 27 and 20, arrested for breach of the peace, a 17-year-old male arrested for attempting to steal a car, a 25-year-old male reported for stealing a bicycle and two males reported for urinating in public.

Three premises were broken into and there were eight incidents of vehicle break-ins and vandalism.