Gunnedah locals are preparing to protest during the next council meeting in response to what they say is silence and inaction on increasing crime in the region.
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Shane Wheeler has lived in the town for about 10 years, and said home break-ins and car thefts were "getting worse as time goes on".
"There's a heap of people from the community wanting to go down there [to the council] and stand out the front to put on a protest," Mr Wheeler said.
The Gunnedah Shire Council is expected to gather for the next ordinary meeting on August 16.
Mr Wheeler said locals "have had enough" and are getting "wild" about the crime, having their cars stolen and burned, homes broken into, and items taken from their houses.
"Some of these [local] blokes have had tools and everything else knocked off [from their homes] and they need them for work," Mr Wheeler said.
"That's a lot of money to go missing. They've had enough and are ready to take it into their own hands.
"So maybe the council needs to speak up a bit more and put it out there so everybody in the community can understand what is going on."
When contacted by the Leader for Comment, Gunnedah Shire Council issued a statement which said "crime is a policing and NSW State Government issue first and foremost".
The statement also said the council "has a Crime Prevention Working Group led by Councillor Colleen Fuller, and is very supportive of any initiatives to address crime in the community'.
Cr Fuller was contacted by the Leader but was unavailable for comment.
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NSW Minister for Police, Yasmin Catley, was in Tamworth on July 26, for a three-day listening and learning tour of the region, with a response expected to be presented at the Gunnedah crime prevention conference in November.
During her tour, Ms Catley echoed concerns by local police, councillors and politicians, who have often advised residents to "lock up" their car doors and houses to make it more difficult for opportunistic thefts to occur.
After the Leader contacted NSW Police for a response, the message was reiterated by a spokesperson in a statement, saying property theft is "largely opportunistic" and urged people to "put personal safety routines into practice".
"Our message is clear - everyone in our community deserves to feel safe and our officers will be doing everything they can to catch those responsible, but we need everyone to play their part," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said NSW Police would continue to engage with the community of Gunnedah to "identify and address concerns that may exist or arise from time to time in the township".
However, Mr Wheeler said he has had his home locked up "like Fort Knox" and people with criminal intent have still managed to break open a window to get his keys and steal his car.
"I was about to go away this weekend to the coast to meet up with my family, but I said, 'I'm just not going to go' because we can't leave our place unattended," Mr Wheeler said.
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