Crime in your hood: Worst break-in spots in Parra and the northwest

PARRAMATTA is one of the most burgled suburbs in NSW. But where is the worst places for car thefts and malicious damage in the region. See how your suburb rates with our INTERACTIVE MAPS.

All of the top ten suburbs for home break-ins are all in the west or south west. Westmead and Merrylands weren’t far behind Parramatta, one of the worst.

​PARRAMATTA is one of the most burgled suburbs in NSW, despite an overall decline in break-ins in NSW.

Exclusive data released to Newslocal by the NSW Bureau of Crime statistics and Research (BOCSAR) shows the top ten suburbs for home break-ins are all in the west or south west, with the worst nine suburbs for car theft also in this region.

From 2011 to March 2017 there were more than a thousand break-ins to dwellings in each of Blacktown, Liverpool, Parramatta and Strathfield but none of these places ranked in the top 20 home suburbs for offenders or suspects.

Parramatta was hit by 1125 break-ins, Westmead 985 and Merrylands 922.

Suburbs in Sydney’s east or north shore had much lower burglary rates — in the same period Middle Cove and Willoughby in the north and Watsons Bay in the east each recorded fewer than 20 break-ins.

Safe suburbs west of the CBD included Clyde which recorded only two burglaries in the same period, Huntleys Point (5) and Henley (8).

DWELLINGS BREAK AND ENTER

Ex-president of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology Professor Rick Sarre of the University of SA said the decline in property crime is due to a few factors but it’s not spread equally.

“We know criminals target homes that don’t have security alarms but that means the rich can get protection and the poor don’t,” Prof Sarre said.

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BOCSAR data also reveals suburbs where alleged offenders or persons of interest (POIs) reside.

POIs may not have been convicted in court, however they have been proceeded against by the police.

These figures reveal that in this region Merrylands (87), Auburn (86) and Guildford (78) were home to most accused burglars while Merrylands also had the highest number of shoplifter suspects lived in Merrylands at 357 followed by Auburn (290) and Parramatta (288).

CAR THEFT 2011 TO MARCH 2017 MAPS

Car thefts followed a similar pattern where some western Sydney suburbs saw hundreds of cars boosted, many of them Holden Commodores. Stealing from cars was also a western Sydney specialty with some places suffering more than a thousand thefts in the six years to March 2017.

Half of all cars are stolen from a home, and Holden Commodores made up five of the top 10 most stolen car models according to the National motor vehicle theft reduction council.

MALICIOUS DAMAGE 2011 TO MARCH 2017 MAPS

The top suburbs cars were pinched from were Bankstown, Blacktown, Liverpool, Penrith, Auburn and Greenacre. The top suburbs for car thief POIs were Marrickville, Blacktown, Glebe, Guildford, and Whalan.

Three quarters of car thefts are short term and used for transport, joy-riding or committing other crimes, the National motor vehicle theft reduction council reports.

William Nguyen 14, and his dad Bahu in 2013. William fended off two assailants who were robbing his father’s corner shop in Thomas St Parramatta.

Prof Sarre said car thefts are down about 75 per cent over the past 20 years as the only way to steal a car these days is to break into a home to the steal keys.

“While immobilisers are typically built into cars after 2001, they offer no protection if a thief has access to your keys,” Prof Sarre said.

Still from security tape footage of three masked and armed men smashing display cabinets in Nader Jewellers in Westfield Shopping Centre at Parramatta.

The most common crime reported to NSW Police between 2011 and March 2017 was malicious damage (vandalism), stealing from cars and fraud.

The top Sydney suburbs where thieves broke into cars were: Blacktown (2575 reports), Liverpool (2395), Surry Hills (1975), Bankstown (1792), Campbelltown (1526) and Mount Druitt (1495).

Liquorland manager Herman Lai talks to Parramatta MP Geoff Lee and Superintendent Robert Barnett in 2012. The shop was often robbed.

The top Sydney suburbs where POIs that steal from cars live during the same period were: Waterloo, Redfern, Marrickville, Surry Hills and West Pymble.

Shoplifting reports between 2011 and March 2017 centred around large shopping complexes in Sydney, Parramatta, Blacktown, Liverpool, Bondi Junction.

The Forensic Unit, where most of the NSW crime scenes are processed.

The most POIs for this crime were living in Surry Hills (710), Blacktown (637), Redfern (598), Macquarie Fields (524), and Waterloo (524).

Criminologist and Senior Lecturer at Sydney University Dr Garner Clancey said criminals “generally” stay close to home and hit targets they know when doing their worst.

Constable Michael Kovacs warning drivers to lock their cars and not leave valuables in side them as well. Picture: Justin Sanson

“The journey to crime data suggests offenders travel quite short distances, only a couple of kilometres and tend to offend in areas they know. because they have an understanding of likely chances to be caught,” Dr Clancey said.

The top Sydney suburbs for vandalism reports were: Blacktown, Sydney, Penrith, Parramatta and Campbelltown, while the top suburbs that vandal POIs called home were: Blacktown, Surry Hills, Doonside, Macquarie Fields and Liverpool.

ROBBERIES IN SOUTH WEST SYDNEY LINKED

The BOCSAR data attributes some POIs to suburbs if they were living in local jails, so the numbers for areas such as Silverwater and Goulburn are inflated and excluded from the above analysis.

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