NSW postcodes with the highest number of break-ins revealed

The postcodes with the highest rate of break-ins have been revealed with crims targeting civic centres in regional and rural locations. Find out which suburbs topped the list.

The postcodes with the highest rate of break-ins have been revealed with crims targeting civic centres in regional and rural locations.

NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research revealed suburbs under the banner of 2650 had the most break-ins in 2020.

These locations include Wagga Wagga, Kooringal, Lake Albert and Turvey Park and had a whopping 514 incidents last year.

Tamworth came in second place with 468 incidents while the Sydney postcode of 2170, which includes Liverpool, Moorebank and Casula, had 341 break-ins.

University of Sydney Criminology Associate Professor Garner Clancey said there are a number of factors which mean regional areas are more at risk of these types of crimes.

“My assumption would be that the leading areas for break-ins have larger amounts of public housing estates. The life circumstances of people in those areas is not especially promising and what that means if they are more likely to commit this type of offence,” he said.

“There are also some bits of scholarship which show people don’t travel far to offend. They identify targets through their daily routines. If someone lives in a lower-socio economic area they aren’t going through high-end places in their daily lives – despite this possibly being a better yield.

“It is through daily activity that most offenders identify opportunities to do this.”

Liverpool had the most break-ins out of any Sydney postcode. Picture: Ian Svegovic

Out of the top ten postcodes, seven were in regional locations.

These include Dubbo, Orange, Albury, Armidale and Taree.

Wagga Wagga Mayor Greg Conkey said the town’s high rate was due to its size.

“Break and enters in the city have been trending down significantly,” he said.

From January to December in 2019 there were 535 incidents, 21 more than in 2020. The trend is categorised by BOCSAR as stable, rather than up or down.

In relation to its size, Tamworth, which has a larger population than Wagga Wagga, had 46 less incidents.

Seven of the top ten postcodes for break-ins were in regional areas.

Tamworth Mayor Col Murray was surprised his community was so highly represented and said they often see spikes when young offenders are on bail.

“When police are able to put these people before the courts, and the courts take positive action against them, then I am sure there would be a lower amount of break-ins,” he said.

For Sydney postcodes, the majority of the offences occur in western and southwestern parts of the city.

Liverpool tops the tally for Sydney with 341 incidents recorded in 2020, this is followed by Mt Druitt, with 278, then Wentworthville, 262, and then Campbelltown, 198.

Break-in decline

The amount of break-ins have fallen dramatically in the last 20 years.

Sydney Institute of Criminology researchers put this down to a number of reasons including lower value of household items, improved security and DNA.

“If we put the number of break-ins we had in 2020 compared to 2000 there is a significant difference, there was about 82,000 incidents then and recently it has fallen to around 20,000,” Prof Clancy said.

“There is conjecture about the decline but it can be put down to some factors. One is the manufacturing centre, items like TVs are a lot cheaper now so you would not earn as much if you sell it second hand, homes also carry a lot less cash and the second hand stolen goods market is very different now.

“There is also much greater security in homes. More people live in apartment blocks where there are multiple entry points and better security.”

He added, advances in DNA recognition technology lowered the number.

“The big change in that department is the creation of the DNA basis, and scene of crime officers,” he said.

“If you offended, then reoffended in another location your DNA is linked to both of those crimes. So if the cops catch the offender there is greater evidence linking the person, meaning that could get a dozen charges rather than just one or two at the latest crime scene”