NSW stolen vehicle hot spots: Blacktown, Newcastle, Central Coast top list in police data

The state’s stolen motor vehicle hot spots have been revealed – with NSW Police data confirming a steady increase in the number of stolen vehicles over the past two years.

A shocking 13,844 cases of stolen motor vehicles were reported across NSW in 2023, with cases skyrocketing 23 per cent from the year before.

NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research data reveal there were 661 reports of stolen cars from June to September alone.

The data revealed Blacktown had the highest reported number of stolen motor vehicles from September 2022 to September 2023 with 761 cases.

Newcastle followed with 637 reports, Central Coast with 530 incidents and Canterbury-Bankstown with 506.

Penrith was next on the list with 495 cases, followed by Lake Macquarie with 479 cases.

Parramatta saw 467 reported cases, a 53 per cent increase from 2022.

Liverpool saw 440 reported cases, with Cumberland following with 393 cases reported to NSW police.

The top 10 list of local government areas was rounded out with Wollongong reporting 372 cases, and Dubbo with 305 incidents.

Armidale had a shocking 83.3 per cent increase of stolen vehicles reported within one year.

A Blacktown City Council spokesman said the council was committed to ensuring Blacktown City is a safe place for the community and continues to support the work of the NSW Police.

“It is important to note Blacktown City has the largest population of any Council area in NSW with a population of over 410,000 people,” a Blacktown City spokesman said.

“With a population of over 410,000 people, council is committed to ensuring Blacktown City is a safe place for all our community and we are proud to continue to support the work of the NSW Police to achieve this”.

In addition to the highest overall numbers of stolen car reports, the data further revealed regional NSW had higher rates per population of stolen vehicles.

Moree Plains had the highest reported rate of stolen motor vehicles from September 2022 to September 2023 at 1342.5.

Gunnedah followed with a rate of 680.2, Kempsey with 655.5 and Dubbo saw a rate of 549.4.

Narromine cleaned up the top five list with a rate of 542.8.

Kim McIntosh from Blacktown was a recent victim of car theft after forgetting to lock her car.

“I was lucky they just opened my door and had a bit of a rummage through, the other cars on my street had their windows smashed,” Ms Mcintosh said.

Police have urged residents to be vigilant with security. Picture: Supplied

A NSW Police spokeswoman urged residents to be vigilant with security and take simple measures to reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim of vehicle theft.

“This includes locking your vehicle, making sure valuables aren’t left on display, not leaving items in the glove box or centre console, and making sure the spare keys aren’t hidden in the car,” she said.

The spokeswoman also said vehicles with in-built GPS tracking devices can be effective in the process of finding the stolen vehicles.

Newcastle resident Geoff Dever had his motorcycle stolen, which he says was never investigated by police.

“I never got insurance, and I’ve never heard back from the police. The Newcastle police system is a joke,” Mr Dever said.

“Apparently the thieves were using a technology that allows them to break in if the car keys are in close distance. They took all my things then nicely locked the door afterwards, what a joke!” another Newcastle resident said on a Facebook community page.

Another Newcastle resident Terry Doyle said he had to defend himself in court after a thief racked up nearly $1000 in speeding fines using his stolen car.

“The thief was caught because he posted a video of himself driving my car at 200 km/hr. He dumped and destroyed my car a few metres from his home,” Mr Doyle said.