PHOTO: Travelers staying at a local caravan park have slammed the town on social media after their car was stolen while they slept. IMAGE: Canva
A SERIES of recent vehicle thefts have shone a negative light on Coonamble.
A family of tourists from the south coast of New South Wales found themselves in strife after they awoke to find their car had been stolen at the Coonamble caravan park while they were asleep.
Police confirmed that between 9pm on Thursday 20 April and 5am on Friday 21 April, a person forced entry into a caravan and stole keys to the Holden Colorado.
The owner of the vehicle, expressed her frustration on social media where she explained the situation in detail.
“I had someone enter my camper trailer whilst myself, my partner and granddaughter were sleeping,” she wrote.
“The police were fantastic and located my vehicle within 24 hours.”
Police officers had located the vehicle parked outside a home in Dubbo at around 7:30 pm on Friday 21 April.
Afterwards, the owner told the world via social media that “apparently there is an issue with vehicle theft on a regular basis”.
“I can offer the following advice, if you are planning on visiting Coonamble NSW in a camper trailer, make sure you can keep your car keys on your person even while sleeping.”
The comments are a natural reflection of the traveler’s anger and frustration at what is definitely a negative experience and the incident will not help Coonamble’s tourism reputation.
However the number of car thefts that actually occur in Coonamble are not necessarily “regular” and there is little evidence that visitors are targeted.
Whilst on a per capita basis the shire currently ranks at number 7 for car theft, it is also equally true that when visiting Coonamble the chances of getting your car stolen are not so high when compared to many other local government areas.
In the most recent BOCSAR (Bureau of Crime Statistics & Research) statistics, eighteen cars were reported stolen in Coonamble in 2022, a far cry from the 293 in nearby Dubbo, or the 161 in Sydney’s Northern Beaches in the same time period.
The local caravan park has experienced two thefts since 2021 – including the most recent one on 20 April this year.
Following the latest incident, the owners of the caravan park BelgraviaPro have advised new security measures are on the cards.
“Whilst we do not believe that Coonamble Riverside Holiday Park is a specific target for car-related crime, the safety of our staff and guests is paramount,” said a Belgraviapro spokesperson.
“The consideration of additional security measures at this park is therefore currently under discussion with Council including options such as CCTV and the installation of boom gates.”