One car stolen every 35 minutes in NSW as new crime data reveals worst suburbs for offences

A car is being stolen almost every half hour across NSW, with new crime figures revealing almost 300 were nicked in one postcode in the space of a year. See the list of the worst postcodes.

A car is being stolen every 35 minutes across NSW, with parts of Sydney’s west and regional centres ranked as hotspots for offending.

New data from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics has lifted the lid on the worst suburbs for car thefts in NSW as the number of vehicles stolen over the last year topped 14,883 – a 12.5 per cent increase from the previous 12-month period.

The postcode with the most car thefts in the last year was Liverpool with 292 vehicles stolen – up 38 from the previous 12-month period.

Dubbo ranked second, with 224 cars stolen, followed by Albury, which had a huge spike in the number of cars stolen – jumping from 118 in 2023 to 203 in 2024.

Thieves in Tamworth meanwhile made off with 187 cars, while the 2560 postcode – which takes in Campbelltown – had 181 cars stolen, a 40 per cent increase from the previous 12 months.

Car thefts are increasing in NSW. Photo: NSW Police

Rounding out the top 10 worst suburbs for offences was Orange (171 cars stolen), Blacktown (170), the 2145 postcode which takes in Westmead (166), Wagga Wagga (165) and Coffs Harbour (159).

The figures show the majority of car thefts across NSW occurred under the cover of darkness, with 8894 cars stolen at night compared with 5997 during the day. Cars parked at residential homes and on streets were most likely to be targeted by thieves, followed by vehicles parked in public carparks and outside shops.

A map showing areas with higher rates of car thefts, as seen in darker red.

Across NSW, just over 10 per cent of the total number of cars stolen involved youth offending with juveniles stealing 1507 cars over the 12-month period.

Of the youth offences, the Central Coast region recorded the highest number of incidents with 94 cars stolen, followed by Newcastle (75), Orange (72), Blacktown (57), Dubbo (57), Lake Macquarie (57), and Moree Plains (52 incidents).

At a rate of population, the postcodes recording the highest overall number of cars stolen were largely in regional NSW with Bourke topping the list with 35 cars stolen in a postcode home to 2389 people.

Moree recorded high rates of car thefts in the latest 12-month period.

Other hotspots included Moree, Dareton, Coonamble, Wickham, Walgett, Menindee, Kempsey, Newcastle, Albury and Dubbo.

The safest Sydney postcode to park your car was the Berowra postcode, which recorded just one car theft in an area home to 8082 people.

Other safe spots included Bayview, Miranda, Killara, Fairlight, Voyager Point, Belrose and Frenchs Forest, with each suburb recording fewer than 10 cars stolen over the 12-month period.

Cart thefts are on the rise in NSW. Photo: NSW Police.

The figures follow police warning of a recent spate of high-end vehicles being targeted from some of Sydney’s wealthiest suburbs, including Rose Bay and Mosman, which both recorded a jump in incidents over the past 12 months.

In a statement, North Shore Police said officers conducted proactive, high-visibility policing operations during key times to prevent and disrupt criminal activity.

“Police also actively engage with the community to promote crime prevention strategies, particularly against break-ins and car theft,” the command said.

A photo of a stolen car recovered by NSW Police earlier this year.

Eastern Suburbs Police have also reported a majority of crimes in the region relate to theft of cars, often as a result of people leaving cars and front doors unlocked and keys in readily accessible places.

NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley said police had launched operations to target offenders involved in aggravated break enter and stealing offences involving thefts of luxury/high-performance vehicles across the state.

A strike force is, meanwhile, collaborating with the NSW Crime Commission to identify and disrupt organised crime networks involved in the theft and supply of vehicles as well dismantling the criminal enterprises that traffic stolen vehicles for use in other serious offences.

A photo of a car recovered by Strike Force Sweetenham, set up by NSW Police to target stolen cars.

“At the community level, police area commands and police districts provide immediate responses, gather evidence, conduct investigations and initiate prevention strategies tailored to their specific areas,” Ms Catley said.

Across Australia, it is estimated more than 40,000 cars are stolen every year.

In some good news for NSW motorists, our state recorded fewer vehicles stolen than rates of offending south of the border with 20,495 cars stolen in Victoria over the 2023/24 period – 5612 more than in NSW – despite having a lower population.

The crime figures show thefts of items from vehicles also increased in NSW over the last 12-month period – rising from 21,185 incidents in 2023 to 28,493 in 2024.