Recent crime data has revealed NSW’s most dangerous suburbs for serious crime as the state recorded close to 200,000 serious offences in just 12 months.
The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics found some suburbs recorded more than 3,000 serious offences in 12 months, with Sydney CBD, Mount Druitt and the regional town of Bourke emerging as the worst locations.
In the 12-month period to June 2023, the state recorded more than 192,000 serious offences, including 72 homicides and more than 66 assaults.
Bourke, which has a population of just 2,389 people, recorded 622 offences, while Sydney’s CBD had almost 3,000 serious offences – including more than 1,200 non-domestic assaults.
Popular inner-city neighbourhoods such as Redfern, Surry Hills, and Glebe are also highlighted on the list as some of the most unsafe suburbs in New South Wales.
The figures include the 13 major crime categories – homicide, assault, break and enter, sexual offences, robbery, stealing offences, motor vehicle theft, arson, abduction and malicious damage.
Western Sydney suburb of Mount Druitt topped the list for the highest crime rate with 3,021 serious offences recorded in one year
The Bureau of Crime Statistics said nine of the 13 major crime categories in NSW have shown ‘a significant upward trend’ over the last two years.
Domestic violence was up by 8.7 per cent while non-domestic violence assault increased by 16.2 per cent.
Meanwhile robbery, stealing from retail stores and motor vehicle theft also saw a rise of 26.6, 47.7 and 23 per cent respectively.
Hotspots for crime included the Sydney CBD, Redfern, Surry Hills, Mount Druitt, Glebe, Parramatta, Penrith, Kings Cross, Villawood and Macquarie Fields.
Most dangerous suburbs in Greater Sydney
Mount Druitt
Western Sydney’s suburb of Mount Druitt topped the list for the highest crime rate with 3,021 serious offences recorded in one year.
The suburb, which is home to 61,494 people, had Sydney’s highest number of domestic assaults recording 743 offences and the highest overall break and enter incidents with 257.
Other offences recorded for the postcode included 815 malicious damage offences, 34 arson offences and one homicide.
Penrith clocked 1,972 offences including 531 malicious damage offences – ranking it the third highest figure in greater Sydney behind the Sydney CBD and Mount Druitt
Redfern, located on the outskirts of the CBD recording 756 offences across its 12,072 residents (pictured, Redfern train station entrance)
Sydney CBD
The Sydney CBD had the second-highest serious crime rate – and highest of the city’s suburbs – after recording 2,950 offences across its 27,936 residents.
It accounted for the highest number of non-domestic assaults, with 1,220 incidents, followed by 571 malicious damage offences and 284 domestic assaults.
The CBD also recorded 273 sexual assaults, 56 robberies and six arson offences in the 12 months to June 2023.
Penrith
Penrith clocked 1,972 offences, including 531 malicious damage offences – ranking it the third highest figure in greater Sydney behind the Sydney CBD and Mount Druitt.
The postcode also recorded 380 non-domestic assaults, 286 domestic assaults, 146 steal from dwelling and 189 home break and enters.
Redfern
Redfern, located on the outskirts of the CBD recording 756 offences across its 12,072 residents.
Offences included 132 non-domestic assaults, 125 domestic assaults, 117 steal from dwelling, 202 malicious damage offences and 24 motor vehicle thefts.
Surry Hills recorded 1,414 offences including 443 non-domestic assaults (pictured, Bourke Street, Surry Hills)
Inner city suburb of Glebe recorded 746 offences including 174 malicious damage offences and 132 non-domestic assaults (pictured, Colourful Victorian Houses in Glebe neighbourhood)
Surry Hills
Meanwhile, nearby suburb of Surry Hills recorded 1,414 offences including 443 non-domestic assaults. It also had 295 malicious damage offences, 166 steal from dwelling offences and 152 domestic assaults.
Glebe
Inner city suburb of Glebe recorded 746 offences including 174 malicious damage offences and 132 non-domestic assaults.
The suburb, which has a population of 16,641 people, recorded 109 steal from dwelling offences, 74 break and enters and six arson offences.
Parramatta
Parramatta recorded a total of 1,524 serious offences including 374 non-domestic related assaults, 294 malicious damage, 167 steal from dwelling, 174 domestic assaults and 140 break and enters.
Kings Cross
Kings Cross racked up 723 offences across its 18,187 residents, with 247 non-domestic assaults recorded.
The once renowned premier nightlife destination also recorded 173 malicious damage offences, 68 steal from dwelling and 66 sexual offences.
Parramatta (pictured) recorded a total of 1,524 serious offences including 374 non-domestic related assault
The once renowned premier nightlife destination of Kings Cross racked up 723 offences across its 18,187 residents (Pictured, iconic Coco-Cola sign at Kings Cross, Sydney)
Villawood
Villawood, about 27km west of Sydney, recorded 406 serious offences including 119 domestics assaults and 65 malicious damage incidents.
The suburb also clocked 35 motor vehicle thefts, 27 steal from dwelling offences and three abductions.
Macquarie Fields
The south west Sydney suburb of Macquarie Fields rounded out Sydney’s top 10 most dangerous postcodes with 538 offences.
The fast-growing suburb, which has a population of 14,198, recorded 138 malicious damage offences, 121 domestic assaults, 87 non-domestic assaults and 42 break and enters.
Rounding out the top 20 list for most dangerous suburbs in greater Sydney include Katoomba and St Marys followed by Ultimo, Blacktown, Waterloo, Newtown, Camperdown, Granville, Pyrmont and Doonside.
Most dangerous suburbs in regional NSW
Bourke
The regional NSW town of Bourke, located some 800km north west of the state capital, had the highest crime rate based on population.
The outback town recorded 622 serious offences including 148 domestic assaults, 135 malicious damage offences, 138 break and enters, 27 arson offences and 24 sexual offences across its 2,389 residents.
Boggabilla
The small town of Boggabilla, located in the far north of inland NSW north of Moree, ranked second with 254 offences recorded across 1,072 people in just one year.
Serious crimes recorded included 45 malicious damage offences and 35 domestic assaults.
Wilcannia
Wilcannia, a small town located within the Central Darling Shire in north western NSW, ranked as the third with 196 serious offences followed by Newcastle West with 256 offences.
Notable Suburbs
Rounding out the top 10 most dangerous suburbs in regional NSW were Coonamble, Hamilton North, Lighting Ridge, Moree, Warren and Walgett.
Other dangerous in regional NSW included Dubbo with 3,332 offences across 444,963 residents, Kempsey with 1,697 offences across 23,166 residents, Newcastle with 855 offences across 12,058 residents and Broken Hill with 1,276 offences across 18,097 residents.
Cherrybrook, 29km north west of the Sydney, was the safest suburb in NSW after recording the lowest serious crime rate of 72 serious offences across a 19,082 population
Safest Suburbs in Sydney
The statistics also revealed the safest suburbs across the state in terms of the lowest recorded crime rate in the 12 month period.
Cherrybrook
Cherrybrook, 29km north west of the Sydney, recorded the lowest serious crime rate with 72 serious offences across a 19,082 population.
Beecroft
The Northern Sydney suburb of Beecroft came in second with 50 serious offences across 12,458 residents.
Notable Suburbs
Other notable safe havens included Lindfield with 67 offences across 14,648 residents, Avalon Beach with 79 offences in a population of 15,422 and West Pennant Hills with 89 serious offences across a population of 16,620 residents.
Rounding out the list of Sydney’s top 20 safest suburbs were Bayview, Belrose, Berowra Heights, Epping, Fairlight, Forrestville, Killara, Newport, Oyster Bay, Pymble, St Ives, The Ponds, Turramurra, Voyager Point and Wahroonga.
Safest Suburbs in Regional NSW
Pambula
Taking out top spot as the safest suburb in regional NSW with the lowest crime rate was Pambula on the south coast with 25 serious offences across 4,101 residents.
Other Suburbs
Other regional suburbs with the lowest crime rate included Baldry, Wallendbeen, Gerringong, Millthorpe, Bungendore, Tumbulgum and Bangalow.