‘Terrifying’: NSW town rocked by crime wave

A regional NSW town is being rocked by a “terrifying” crime wave, with residents forced to endure a string of break-and-enters, car thefts and assaults.

Residents of Kempsey, 420km north of Sydney on the NSW Mid North Coast, have had their vehicles stolen homes looted and belongings robbed, with many detailing their stolen goods on a popular Facebook page “Kempsey Crime Reporting.

“To the dogs who stole the rims of my black V8 Commodore … we have you on camera,” one person wrote on the page earlier this month reads.

Another post accompanying a photo of an elderly woman in front of a new car details a home invasion in West Kempsey.

“She was attacked and held at knifepoint. Her handbag and white MG were stolen,” the post reads.

One local resident told The Daily Telegraphshe feels “violated” after being broken into three times

“It’s terrifying. It’s a sick feeling right to the pit of your stomach,” said Gail Cheers.

According to the publication, young criminals are also seen in videos shared to social media stealing cars and engaging in high speed joy rides.

Some fed-up residents were able to voice their harrowing experiences in a parliamentary inquiry into regional crime, which held a hearing in Kempsey last month.

One woman Marilyn Figgett, told the hearing her home was invaded 17 times in the last 18 years.

“I’ve had people come through my window while I was sleeping,” Ms Figgett told the inquiry last month.

“I’ve been lying in my bed and had a torch put in my face, and had to pretend I was asleep.”
During the inquiry, police said the local force was only operation at 70 per cent of its strength.

“Some commands are probably down to the low 60s … resourcing is a challenge,” said Superintendent Shane Cribb, Commander of the NSW Mid North Coast District.

Public hearings were also held in Broken Hill and Bourke.

It comes as Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research data released earlier this year showed the gap between crime rates in regional NSW and Sydney was widening.

In 2023, the rate of property crime in regional NSW was 59 per cent higher than in Sydney and the rate of violent crime in regional NSW was 57 per cent higher.

“No easy fix”

The NSW Attorney-General conceded earlier this year there was ”no easy fix” to addressing the causes of the youth crime wave largely engulfing regional communities.

Michael Daley faced a grilling over increased rates of youth crime, especially in regional and rural communities during budget estimates in March.

He said there was a need to address the causes of crime by ensuring pastoral care was given to families, education initiatives and addressing drug and alcohol problems.

“There’s no easy fix. This won’t be done in a year or two or 10. These are very slow moving programs,” he said.

“What you need to do is to start now and make sure that you invest in and conceive of programs that will survive the decades through changes of government.”

Mr Daley said there were two separate working groups to tackle the growing youth crime wave, in addition to the one done created by NSW Premier Chirs Minns which addresses growing levels of regional crime, which is being committed by both youth and adult offenders.

– With NCA Newswire