The Sydney suburb with a murder rate seven times the state average

This south west Sydney suburb has a homicide rate more than seven times NSW’s average, but locals insist it’s a “beautiful place to live” – and the property market seems to agree.

A south west Sydney suburb has become an epicentre for violent crime in recent months but local authorities have defended the community as a family area.

In the space of two months in Condell Park, just 25km from the Sydney CBD, a man has been kidnapped, and a family car with children inside was sprayed with bullets.

In the same suburb in October 2020, Sydney gang member Mejid Hamzy was murdered in cold blood on his driveway.

Police looking for evidence in surrounding homes and along the street after a man was abducted from Condell Park on January 9.

It is not suggested that any of the incidents are related.

The latest violent incident to rock the suburb happened on Sunday night when 39-year-old Omar Elomar was kidnapped from his Third Ave home about 7:30pm.

Police are investigating possible links between the kidnap of Elomar and the theft of more than 400 kilograms of cocaine belonging to exiled Comanchero kingpin Mark Buddle in 2020.

Omar Elomar has yet to be found after being taken from a home in Third Ave shortly before 7.30pm on Sunday.

It comes as statistics from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research have revealed three murders in the past five years, seeing Condell Park’s homicide rate spike to 7.7 times the state average, according to 2020’s final quarterly report.

The string of crime hasn’t affected Condell Park’s real estate market, with prices growing 5.7 per cent in five years with a median house price of $1.152 million by the end of 2021.

In further violent activity a family car with four children inside was allegedly peppered with gunfire on November 28 on Fourth Ave, Condell Park.

The victims – aged 12, 16 and another two aged 17 – were in a Toyota Yaris with a 37-year-old woman, but escaped unharmed before the car crashed on Townsend St.

A 20-year-old man was arrested one day later, and police are still looking for a second man allegedly involved in the incident.

Mejid Hamzy, who was murdered outside his Condell Park home on October 19 2020.

Forensic services photographed at Simmat Ave, Condell Park, after Mejid Hamzy was shot. Picture: Monique Harmer

The streak of violent incidents truly began on October 19, 2020, when Mejid Hamzy – the brother of jailed gang leader Bassam Hamzy – was gunned down on his Simmat Ave driveway at 7:30am.

No one has yet been charged over the murder.

Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor Khal Asfour said he was disturbed by recent incidents in the area.

“Condell Park is a beautiful place to live and the area is full of decent working-class people,” Mr Asfour said.

“The recent incidents are not reflective of the suburb and appear to be targeted … many residents have lived in the area for a number of years and have raised their families here.”

He said he will be working closely with police to ensure community safety is a priority.

South West Metropolitan Region Commander, Assistant Commissioner Tony Cooke, said the community safety was the number one priority for police.

“Not only does the Bankstown Police Area Command continue to proactively target criminal activity and behaviour, but Strike Force Hawk also maintains a highly visible presence to prevent crime, particularly in areas where there have been violent attacks targeting members of organised criminal groups, by other criminal groups,” Assistant Commissioner Cooke said.

“In conjunction with State Crime Command, we will continue to be relentless in terms of the pressure we put on these criminals.”