The rate of crime in the Kiama LGA has remained stagnant over the past few years, and is considered a “pleasure to work in” according to Lake Illawarra Police.

Speaking at Kiama’s Central Precinct meeting on 25 October, Senior Constable Casey Mitchell and District's Acting Superintendent Dan Richardson responded to reports on social media and The Bugle about a perceived increase in the number of car thefts and break-ins in the area.

In August 2023, as many as five cars were reported to be stolen on social media, however, NSW Police Media said they had only received one report of a stolen car, when a white Toyota Rav4 was stolen from Kiama Heights and found burnt out in Batemans Bay the following morning.

Senior Constable Mitchell said that the biggest cause of crime in Kiama over the past six months was malicious damage and motor vehicle theft. However, the vast majority of crimes in the area are opportunistic rather than targeted, such as people looking for unlocked cars to break into.

She added that perpetrators are generally young and usually come from outside the Kiama area.

Acting Superintendent Richardson said that there hadn’t been any significant changes to the rate of crime in Kiama recently, and that Kiama isn’t considered a hotspot for crime in the Illawarra. 

Lake Illawarra Police offered a handful of suggestions for concerned locals to help combat crime, the most effective being CCTV cameras which not only assist police in catching criminals, but their presence is often enough to deter crime in the first place. Anyone with information regarding a crime is also encouraged to reach out to Crime Stoppers, no matter how insignificant the information may seem at first.

Residents are also strongly encouraged to lock their cars at night, as criminals are very unlikely to smash a car window to steal something. 

When asked if Kiama has a set patrol schedule, Senior Constable Mitchell said that patrols in Kiama are random, and there hasn’t been a set patrol schedule in Kiama for a number of years.