140 kids charged as part of crime operation battling regional crime
Regional NSW children are being charged almost every two days on average, with car thefts and break-ins soaring as government officials gear up to hear from the bush towns being terrorised by youth crime.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Children in regional NSW are being charged almost every two days on average as a major police operation battles soaring incidents of car thefts and break-ins, with government officials gearing up to hear from the bush towns being terrorised by youth crime.
A shocking 143 kids – mostly aged between 14 and 17 – have been charged by cops from Operation Mongoose since last September, amid a rise in serious crime across regional NSW.
In the 329 days since the NSW Police launched Operation Mongoose a total of 212 people have been arrested and charged, with cops focusing on serious property-related crime predominantly committed by young offenders.
The Daily Telegraph can exclusively reveal police from the ongoing operation have investigated 664 break and enters and 591 stolen vehicles to date in areas including Dubbo, Tamworth, Moree, Orange, Gunnedah, Bourke.
In March, a parliamentary inquiry into regional youth crime in NSW was announced, garnering hundreds of submissions from fed-up locals detailing assaults, car thefts and home invasions right across the state.
The inquiry, chaired by MP for Mount Druitt Edmond Atalla, was established to investigate the drivers of youth crime in the regions and actions the NSW Government can take to improve community safety.
The Telegraph understands the inquiry will tour some of the worst-impacted towns in public hearings from late next month, with members heading to Bourke and Broken Hill, followed by Kempsey and Coffs Harbour to hear from witnesses.
Nationals leader Dugald Saunders said the visits were a “good step” but more needed to be done to address the problem.
“We haven’t seen a decrease in youth crime, it’s still there, it’s still happening and we need to deal with it as a matter of urgency,” he said.
“The four initial locations are a good start but we need to see five or six times more.”
Shaken residents of Orange in the state’s central west say they’ve been left sickened by the rising youth crime crisis in the area – after waking to the sound of explosion on Tuesday morning.
Locals in James Sheahan Drive looked outside around 6am to see a small hatchback completely engulfed in flames, the culprits having made a swift getaway.
They say it’s just the latest incidence of a crime wave that has residents on edge.
“I thought it was gunshots at first, bang bang bang, then I saw it,” local Catie said.
“It scared the sh-t out of my dog, too.”
The young woman said she’s seen burnt out cars on other streets, with arson a “semi-regular” occurrence.
“It’s kids around here that are bored, they get a slap on the wrist and they do it all again,” she said.
“I plan on leaving this town soon, because I don’t feel safe here.”
Neighbour Dallas Holmes was asleep with his wife, his kids and his parents at home when an explosion woke them up.
“There are a lot of cars that have been burnt out and stolen in Orange, it’s really become an issue over the past six years.
“You get desensitised to it.”
Another resident from the town of Gunnedah said the days of feeling safe in her own home “were gone”, after her car was stolen from her driveway while she slept and torched.
“No longer do we just sleep, now we wake to every noise,” she told The Telegraph.
“Knowing that someone was prowling around inside our home while we slept, makes me sick to my stomach.
“This is a really lovely community, but we have this one really bad element, and it’s causing huge problems.”
Orange Mayor Jason Hamling welcomed the “fantastic” commitment from NSW Police to continue Operation Mongoose as an “ongoing” operation.
“The more resources that our local police have, the better,” he said.
Cr Hamling highlighted the role of social media in popularising youth crimes like vehicle theft and arson.
“It’s all go to do with social media in my opinion, they’re filming themselves doing crime and encouraging it,” he said.
“The social media companies have a lot to answer for - they need to have a good look at themselves and what they’re allowing.”
Suspicious package found at southwest Sydney shopping complex
Shoppers at a complex in Sydney’s southwest have been disrupted on one of the busiest days of the year after a suspicious package was located in the carpark.
Read more
Man, woman charged after Christmas Day cop chase
A man and woman have copped multiple charges after a crash which closed the Pacific Highway in both directions on the Mid North Coast early on Christmas Day.
Read more