Break-ins, youth crime dropping but here's where people are still getting hit

In the two years to September 2025, eight major crime offences have decreased, including break-ins, car theft and malicious damage.

The Far West and Orana - which includes Dubbo, Wellington, Walgett and Lightning Ridge, had the biggest decrease in crime.

According to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, there were significant decreases in seven crime categories and no increases.

The biggest drop was in break-ins, which decreased by 25 per cent in the two years, for both homes and non-dwellings like shops. Car thefts dropped by 17 per cent and malicious damage - such as smashing a window or slashing a tyre - went down by 18 per cent.

The Central West, which includes Bathurst and Orange, had declines in four areas. Motor vehicle thefts dropped by 15 per cent, while there was an 11 per cent decrease in non-domestic violence assaults.

BOCSAR executive director Jackie Fitzgerald said one of the most encouraging aspects of the decline in crime was the reduction in youth offending.

"Regional NSW recorded a 16 per cent decline in youth charges over the past two years. This represents a welcome shift after several years of concern around youth crime, particularly in regional areas," she said.

"Regional NSW typically experiences higher rates of crime, making these recent declines particularly important for community safety. The latest figures suggest that some communities that have faced greater crime pressures are now seeing meaningful improvements."

During the two years, the most common crime for youths in Orana and the Far West was intimidation, stalk and harassment.

There were also 159 incidents of break-ins to homes known to have been committed by youths and another 156 to non-dwellings.

Orana Mid-Western Police District crime manager Detective Chief Inspector Paul Stephens said youth crime was often opportunistic.

"When we do our canvases and get CCTV, you can see instances where it's not one car they're trying. They'll try a number of vehicles before they find that one that's unlocked," he said

Detective Chief Inspector Stephens encouraged people to lock their cars and their front doors.

While the rates of property crime have dropped in the two years to September 2025, a significant number of break-ins are still committed in Orana and the Far West.

In the two years, there were 1911 home break-ins reported to the police. It's the equivalent of more than 18 every week. There were also 1002 non-dwellings broken into during the same time period.

There were fewer incidents in the Central West.

Across the two years there were 1454 break and enters into homes and 750 into non-dwellings.

The Central West had a higher number of car thefts - 1004 during the two years, compared to 903 in the Orana and Far West.