According to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR), there were 23 incidents of amphetamine supply and 10 incidents of cultivating cannabis in Young last year.

That’s in stark contrast to the three years prior which saw just one incident for amphetamine supply.

Despite having almost 50,000 more people than Young, Wagga recorded just 17 incidents of amphetamine supply in 2014 and eight for cultivating cannabis.

Comparable towns to Young such as Cowra and Cootamundra had no incidents of amphetamine supply recorded last year.

Young Police Inspector Ashley Holmes said the figures didn’t point to a drug problem in Young, rather that police had been effective in clamping down on drug crime. 

“Last year in Young we ran a number of operations targeting drug dealing,” Inspector Holmes said. 

“The figures are a result of some good police work with intelligence gathering and targeting the right people.”

He said local police would continue their efforts to catch drug peddlers in Young and hoped the arrests had acted as a deterrent. 

“If we’re able to bring down drug crime we’ll lessen other incidents of crime,” Inspector Holmes said.

“As everyone realises, drugs are behind a lot of other sorts of crime, such as break and enters.

“We’re not going to let up.”

Those efforts included Strike Force Nandi, which busted three people dealing amphetamine in Young last February. 

While in October police nabbed a Leeton woman at a local motel with $40,000 worth of ice.

Young was part of a statewide trend which saw drug crime - especially related to methamphetamine - rise significantly. 

Inspector Holmes said he was pleased with other areas crime statistics, including a reduction in malicious damage and theft from motor vehicles.

“We’re very pleased, the statistics generally show a downward trend over five years with steady decreases,” he said

“We’re particularly pleased with the drop in malicious damage, those who were doing it have hopefully grown up a little bit.

“There are some good results to be pleased about but the work is never done.” 

State member for Cootamundra Katrina Hodgkinson also welcomed the BOCSAR statistics, noting the downward trend in most categories.

“This reduction is great news and I thank the community for looking after one another,” she said. 

“Community members can assist police in the fight against crime by reporting incidents when they occur and remaining vigilant.

 “I thank our local police officers for their hard work – these overwhelmingly positive statistics are testament to their efforts and success.”