New statistics released by WA Police reveal the chronic rate of regional crime where, in some parts of the state, you are almost 10 times more likely to be assaulted, sexually attacked or threatened than in metropolitan Perth.

The most recently released data rounds out the 2025-26 financial year to give an annual picture of the overall state of crime across WA over the past 12 months to June.

The most shocking numbers showed the disparity between regional WA and the metro area with, per capita, one in three people being a victim of crime in the Kimberley.

A comparison of statistics between the last financial year and 2024-25 shows that personal violent crimes such as assaults, kidnappings and sexual offences rose significantly in the northern region.

It comes four years after a crisis was first declared for the Kimberley, with the state government calling an emergency meeting in January 2022 and deploying urgent police reinforcements after a number of high-profile incidents.

That year, a $40.4 million package to tackle juvenile crime was handed down in the state budget, including a $15 million youth residential facility in the Kimberley; an on-country alternative to youth detention.

Wala Kooral-bi Centre, located 123 kilometres south-east of Derby, opened last November and funding for it eventually increased to just over $19 million so that it would also include a three-year pilot program.

The program serves as a voluntary, therapeutic residential diversion program for Indigenous boys aged 14 to 17. Participants live on-site, engaging in station work, education, life skills, and cultural connection under the guidance of elders and local leaders.

On top of that, a $6.1 million funding boost was given to WA’s Preventing FASD Project, which was focused on public education and prevention, not screening for children who already have FASD.

Despite the efforts, the crime rate continues to rise.

Last financial year, with a population of 40,562, the Kimberley district recorded 13,259 offences against person or property, equating to a rate of 32,688 per 100,000 people, meaning roughly one in three people were impacted by crime.

Additionally, roughly one in five people experienced direct harm, compared to the state average of one in 37 people.

The district also recorded 4577 family assaults, representing a rate of 11,284 per 100,000 people which was more than nine times the state average rate of 1200 per 100,000.

It represented an increase in violent crimes such as assaults, sexual offences, and robberies by about 5 per cent per capita.

Last week WA Police said they were sending extra resources to the Kimberley town of Kununurra after a video of a police chase went viral.

Another video of a local hotel worker attacked on her way home was also circulated widely, with footage showing her in a wrestle and being dragged by a man attempting to steal her bag.

Earlier this month, Kimberley District Superintendent John Hutchinson said police were starting a targeted operation to crack down on the behaviour.

“The safety of our community remains our priority, and this operation provides additional police resources to support local officers in responding to youth offending and antisocial behaviour occurring during the evening,” he said.

“I would like to thank the Kununurra community for its ongoing support and cooperation.

“The information and assistance provided by residents play a vital role in our ability to respond effectively, prevent further offending, and hold offenders accountable.”

It is hoped that a dedicated youth night space will relieve boredom and provide direction for the town’s youth, but the project has stalled during the community consultation phase over disputes about its location.

The $5.9 million facility is projected to create a safe, supervised place for young people after dark, offering meals, night patrols, referral services, and structured activities to keep kids off the streets and out of the justice system.

Crime rate down across rest of WA

For the rest of WA, crime in general has decreased. Those numbers are driven largely by a drop in property and miscellaneous offences, whereas violent crimes against the person have actually increased.

Family violence represented a big portion of recorded violent crime, but sanction rates by police in this area were low.

The statistics showed that, in the last 12 months, 36,537 family assaults were recorded in WA – nearly double the rate of non-family assaults.

But while the non-family assaults had a sanction rate of 62.1 per cent, family assaults only resulted in a sanction 28.2 per cent of the time.

This means family assaults were almost twice as common but less than half as likely to result in a resolution.

Drug and weapons offences, however, nearly always resulted in a police sanction, with a 92.1 per cent and 89.2 per cent sanction rate, respectively.