2 months ago
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As Sydneysiders ring in the new year with fireworks, parties and drinks, police brace for a surge in calls.
The first three hours of January are the busiest of the year for police as assaults and domestic violence incidents surge, fuelled by alcohol, summer temperatures and underlying family tensions, Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said.
The first three hours of the New Year sees a spike in assaults.Credit: Monique Westermann
“Most crime types decline over the holidays, but domestic violence actually increases. It is the one crime type that doesn’t decline,” he said.
Domestic violence assaults increase by 118 per cent on New Year’s Day compared to the daily average, and non-domestic violence assaults increase by 166 per cent, with a median of 157 and 224 incidents respectively, data from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research shows. Assaults peak between midnight and 3 am.
Domestic violence also peaks on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, with 78 per cent more domestic violence assaults than the daily average. Non-domestic violence assaults, however, are among the lowest of the year on Christmas Day, at 20 per cent below the daily median.
“Whilst Christmas and New Year’s Eve should be a festive season, a time of joy where loved ones come together, unfortunately, we know that some people will not feel safe in their own homes,” McKenna said.
“As people come together, some tensions may come to the forefront. There might be financial and emotional stresses associated with gift-giving and social events. Often, there’s alcohol involved … but there’s never an excuse for violence.”
Assistant commissioner Peter McKenna said policing increases across the holidays to ensure officers are available to keep people safe. Credit: Steven Siewert
Police respond to a domestic violence call every three minutes on average. In the 12 months to December, police attended over 88,000 domestic violence-related episodes, receiving an average of 439 calls regarding the issue a day.
Across 2025, 37,000 domestic assaults were reported to police, along with 25,000 breaches of Apprehended Violence Orders.
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McKenna recommended that those who are afraid of being exposed to violence consider skipping events which may upset them and make sure there are trusted friends and family checking in.
Those going out on New Year’s should plan to get home, anticipate crowds and delays, drink responsibly and monitor friends’ drinking.
An additional 2500 officers will be out on New Year’s Eve, in addition to regular policing numbers across the state.
“We’ve got a high visibility policing focus at the moment due to the terror attack that happened at Bondi … but the one area that we would never drop off is domestic violence because across the state, we know that we have to get that right, that we have to make sure we are there to respond to victims and to keep them safe, and that is our job,” McKenna said.
“If anyone’s got any concerns whatsoever, just call the police. We will be working 24/7 – it doesn’t matter if it’s Christmas, Boxing Day or New Year’s Eve.”
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.
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