There has been an extraordinary rise in car thefts this year across the Western Plains App, new figures released by The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOSCAR) reveal - with Bogan, Bourke, Cobar, and Coonamble the hardest hit.

There were four times the number of vehicles stolen in Cobar in the four months up to March 2023 than for the entire year of 2022.

In Bourke and Bogan, there were more than twice as many cars stolen than there were in the total 2022. In Coonamble, the four months up to March saw double the number than for 2022.

As part of a state-wide trend, car theft has risen in the last quarter ending March 2023 and has lifted the 12-month average of car- thefts from 2.4% to 3.1% in the rate of recorded criminal incidents per 100,000 population.

Gilgandra, Warrumbungle, Walgett and Warren shires saw slight rises.

The rise in motor vehicle thefts is a state-wide trend.

Since reaching historic lows in September 2021, motor vehicle theft in NSW has been steadily increasing such that the number of vehicles stolen in March 2023 was higher than in any month since January 2017, increasing 21.3% in the previous two years.

The increase has been particularly large in parts of regional NSW. In these locations, the number of cars stolen in the year to March 2023 is now much higher than five years ago: New England & North West (up 67%), Richmond-Tweed (up 35%), Far West and Orana (up 31%), Mid North Coast (up 21%) and Central West (up 16%).

In a number of regional NSW locations, vehicle theft is now well above pre-pandemic levels.

Commenting on the findings, BOCSAR Executive Director, Jackie Fitzgerald, said the recent increase in vehicle theft is at least partially a bounce-back from the COVID-driven crime declines of 2020 and 2021 as pandemic restrictions eased.

“Another factor, however, maybe “Another factor, however, may be young people being spurred on by social media posts encouraging vehicle thefts on TikTok.”

BOSCAR has this month released a special report alongside its quarterly release titled ‘The increase in motor vehicle theft in NSW up to March 2023’.

The report found that vehicles stolen in Regional NSW are more likely to be recovered than vehicles stolen in Greater Sydney.

This suggests motor vehicle theft in regional locations may be more likely to be conducted "opportunistically for joyriding and transport purposes”.

The report also found young people appear to be responsible for the increase in vehicle theft in Regional NSW with a 179% increase in legal actions against this group over the five years to March 2023.

In a number of regional NSW locations, vehicle theft is now well above pre-pandemic levels.

By contrast, vehicle theft In Greater Sydney has increased but remains lower than prior to the pandemic

Theft patterns vary by vehicle make and year of manufacture. In the year to March 2023:

• Most frequently stolen vehicles manufactured by Toyota, Holden, and Ford
• The vehicle makes with the highest rate of theft were Holden, Jeep, Land Rover, and Audi.

Hashtag and share the steal

Social media is playing a large part in the rise in car theft, with “trending posts on the social media platform TikTok encouraging people to steal.”

The report cited a recent video uploaded on Tiktok with hashtags #creepingwhileyouresleeping, #lockitorloseit, #pursuit that appears to show young people joyriding at speeds of up to 200km per hour near Dubbo. In the first two days of posting, this clip received 2,000 views.

“Most posts of this type appear to have been removed by the social media platform TikTok making it hard to gauge the scale of this type of media and to what extent it is motivating the increase in vehicle theft, especially in Regional NSW," the report stated.

Another potential means by which social media could influence vehicle theft is via promoting hashtags such as #KiaChallenge” the report said.

“The increase in recorded thefts of motor vehicles, particularly in Regional NSW and among young people, will continue to be closely monitored.”