Regional areas are calling a halt to a crime surge across North-West New South Wales.
Gunnedah Shire Mayor Jamie Chaffey said Gunnedah was among a number of Shires experiencing a worrying sustained rise in the number of crimes including car theft and break and enters, with perpetrators becoming more and more brazen.
“The 2021 figures show a collection of crime hotspots across this region,” Cr Chaffey said.
“Last year, Gunnedah Shire’s rate of car theft was 323 per 100,000 population, that’s 2.5 times higher than the statewide rate of 128 per 100,000. That is worrying enough, but this year has seen a huge leap in crime.
“While the official figures are not yet available, anecdotally we are hearing of a car theft every other day. Perpetrators are stealing and breaking and entering any time of the day or night, and are actively seeking out police pursuits. If this continues, we will see a 200-300% increase in our already high car theft rates.
“Our community is very concerned. We need to feel safe in our homes, our streets and our businesses. In feedback to our consultation on Council’s review of our Community Strategic Plan, residents have told us that they do not feel safe in their own homes.
“Many other neighbouring shires are facing a similar situation.
“We are calling on people to lock up, to watch out for and report criminal behaviour, to look after themselves and their neighbours.
“I know our police are working hard to combat this crime surge and are absolutely focussed on tackling the situation. But I am calling on the Police Minister to help our community and our valued police officers. We need 24-hour policing. We have a new station designed for the purpose and we need the staffing levels to make this happen – as soon as possible.”
People who see suspicious activity can report it anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report crime or suspicious activity online at https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au
You can also contact Gunnedah Police on 6742 9099 and remember to call 000 if it is an emergency.
Note: Official crime statistics are available from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) at crimetool.bocsar.nsw.gov.au
