Regions such as Blacktown and Campbelltown on the outskirts of Sydney, along with Cessnock and Maitland, are top of the class when it comes to automotive crime.

Cessnock and Maitland local government areas have a rate of car break-ins at 953.1 and 1109.5 per 100,000 population respectively, both almost double the state average of 536.6 in 100,000.

Blacktown and Campbelltown have slightly lower rates than inner-Sydney, with Blacktown sitting at 716.9 and Campbelltown at 686.6 (per 100,000).

The report said the worst-affected areas are spread around, with a high concentration of break-in crime also taking place in Central Western NSW.

It went on to say that it is unsurprising that a higher concentration of theft occurs in city centres.

“The higher density of people and vehicles makes for prime conditions, and the statistics in Sydney and Newcastle lend credence to that theory,” the Insurance Australia Group report said.

The rate of car break-ins in Newcastle is high at 1200.5 per 100,000 population.

Sydney CBD has 837.5 per 100,000 population.

While the cities in NSW account for a large amount of theft, there continues to be a widespread vehicle break-in problem in other regional centres, particularly in New South Wale’s central western towns.

From Parkes to Warren and even the Bogan Shire, a local government area  between Narromine and Bourke, theft from car break-ins is among the worst anywhere in the state.

Other areas in NSW experiencing worrying rates of car break-ins and theft include Northern NSW towns such as Lismore and Moree, as well as Riverina towns such as Wagga Wagga and the Murray Basin.

In May last year Fairfax Media reported how police said there had been a surge in car-related crime in Maitland’s western suburbs.

Frustrated police said residents continued to leave vehicles unlocked with valuables inside – just providing the bait for thieves to break-in. Police said most of the cars were unlocked or broken into by unknown means. Offenders made off with valuables such as cash, bags, wallets, a laptop and tools.

As well as urging people to lock their cars, police have also warned that thieves were targeting homes on the hunt for car keys to steal vehicles.

Police say the biggest reason why Maitland is a hotspot is because people are not securing their vehicles. “The number of people who don’t lock their cars is astounding,” Acting Inspector Joe Krzanic said.

He strongly believed it was a youth-related crime, with kids trying door handles until they find one open. “It’s opportunistic,” he said. 

Acting Inspector Krzanic said for example, there were two thefts from unlocked cars at Beresfield overnight on Sunday, where thieves had made off with a bag of coins from one car and a wallet from the other. “They are two incidents we shouldn’t have had,” he said.

As well as repeatedly pleading with people to lock their cars, police also urge people to take valuables with them. Acting Inspector Krzanic said thieves may smash a window if they can see something inside.

There was a spike in car crime in the week before Christmas with 22 reported incidents of thefts from vehicles across the district, which incorporates Port Stephens and Raymond Terrace.

There were 15 in the week leading up to New Years, 20 between January 2 and 8, 11 from January 9 to 15 and another 18 last week.