![Arna Kerklaan and Lewis Burns had their car stolen in February 2023. Picture by Ciara Bastow Arna Kerklaan and Lewis Burns had their car stolen in February 2023. Picture by Ciara Bastow](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/37qTRiw9gHRe7AczHzCfjaK/1b88080d-60ce-463b-aa0d-d18472a7765a.jpg/r0_0_2048_1536_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Everyone deserves to feel safe in their own home.
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But when people kick down your door, rifle through your belongings, take what they want - including your main method of transport, it's hard to feel safe.
Dubbo Regional Councillor and Indigenous man Lewis Burns and his partner Arna Kerklaan went through this exact experience on Wednesday, February 15.
Traumatic experience
When Cr Burns woke on Wednesday morning at 6am, he made his way out into the living area where he noticed his backdoor was unlatched. Not too surprised since that happens once or twice a month, he made his way outside and saw their belongings scattered on the ground.
Having gone to bed before his partner and brother, he wondered what they had gotten up to the night before.
Deciding to walk around to his shed, he noticed the door was open and his car was gone.
"It was my only car, my forever car," he said.
Staying calm, Cr Burns woke up his partner and said "I don't want you to be alarmed but the back door is open and bags are out there and the car's gone".
Ms Kerklaan didn't stay calm.
"What!? What!? Wake up everyone we've been robbed," she yelled, according to Cr Burns.
"I was in a panic and shocked and I wanted to check what was there and what was missing," Ms Kerklaan said.
"I think I was shocked that someone could do that [steal the car] in broad daylight."
I'm glad we didn't wake up and slept through it because I've heard people have been held at knife and machete point if they were awake.
- Arna Kerklaan
Three days after his car was stolen it showed up in Orange.
"Police had to open it because it was locked and then look through it for evidence, but the police were very difficult to deal with in Orange," he said.
More than one month after the incident, he still hasn't got his car back.
"It's still not back to my preferred repairer, the dash is damaged but that's all I know, they didn't elaborate or tell me what's in the car, it could be all gone, which is a lot of my stuff," he said.
Cr Burns had been in the process of quoting a job, one he had a strong chance of getting, but because he couldn't drive to the location he wasn't able to quote it and lost the job.
Ms Kerklaan said it wasn't just the loss of business that was tough to deal with but the ripple effect that comes with it.
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"After all that panic goes, you're left with that thought of 'do people not have any care or concern for other other people?'" she said.
"I'm glad we didn't wake up and slept through it because I've heard people have been held at knife and machete point if they were awake."
Ms Kerklaan said since the incident took place she has found the "hyper-vigilance" exhausting.
"To know as well that we still lock everything but they broke in a window and they kicked in the backdoor, and now the thought of having to padlock everything and check everything is exhausting," she said.
Cr Burns believes his car was targeted because it's fast and would get them to where they were going quicker.
"They're just looking for an easy way to get where they're going I think and getting cash on the way and they know what kind of car is going to get them there," he said.
Why is it happening and what can be done?
In 2022, 293 cars were stolen from the Dubbo Regional Council area, the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research shows.
This was 68 more cars than in 2021, and that number is again on the rise in 2023.
Arna Kerklaan, an Independent mental health and social worker, said that with Dubbo's high unemployment rate, the system needed to be fixed.
"You can earn $5 more by working 30 hours a week versus staying on Centrelink, but once you're on Centrelink payments there's no real commitment to having to follow up," she said.
"What option is left for these young people? Unless there is community programs and things to do and more focus on accountability for actually seeking employment or being engaged in study there's no real consequence.
!['My forever car': Victims of theft urge community action to lower crime rate 'My forever car': Victims of theft urge community action to lower crime rate](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/37qTRiw9gHRe7AczHzCfjaK/289bf31f-4129-4d95-b9d6-88eebf78501d.png/r0_0_796_575_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"It doesn't seem like the system is going to change and it doesn't matter your colour or background, it's having a purpose and having a sense of connection to something better."
With a majority of the car thefts being committed by boys between the ages of 12 and 18, Ms Kerklaan says the system is failing.
"These boys have for some reason been in the system and unfortunately placed in towns or with family that may not have been ideal," she said.
"These kids end up in a gang and the choice is do it or die, and it's a cycle until we change the system."
It's quick to blame the parents, Ms Kerklaan said, but they also need support.
"We can't do what we've never learnt and this is generational stuff, the cycle is never going to change unless we put something in place, until then it's only going to get worse," she said.
Having empathy
![Arna Kerklaan and Lewis Burns had their car stolen in February 2023. Picture by Ciara Bastow Arna Kerklaan and Lewis Burns had their car stolen in February 2023. Picture by Ciara Bastow](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/37qTRiw9gHRe7AczHzCfjaK/4b232009-a805-4b06-9f0d-11a173af8fac.jpg/r0_0_2048_1536_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Cr Burns and Ms Kerklaan have lost a sense of safety in the one place they are supposed to feel safe.
"Whilst we don't know or can't think about walking in their shoes I just hope they take a moment to put themselves in someone else's shoes and think about what it feels like to have someone enter their space and their privacy and everything they've worked hard to build," Ms Kerklaan said.
"If someone did it to their family and held a knife to their throat, put yourself in the other side for a second and the other side of that moment, we can never know what they're going through but just take a moment to think about other people."
Cr Burns said he would be doing things differently from now on.
"I wouldn't leave my keys on the hook near the door or leave my wallet where you can see it," he said.
"Next time they will need more time to find the keys and maybe they won't have that much time. Never hang your keys where people expect them to be or leave your valuables out wherever you are."
Cr Burns has asked that if anyone sees his didgeridoos or artworks for sale to get in contact with him.
"So much stuff was dumped out windows on the way to Orange, so as you drive, if you notice anything out of the ordinary, be vigilant and look," Ms Kerklaan said.
If you have footage of suspicious activity happening around Dubbo, hand it in to police and don't just post on social media, Ms Kerklaan asked.
"This helps police connect people to different crimes and works out where they are at what times," she said.
You can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or in an emergency call triple zero.
!['My forever car': Victims of theft urge community action to lower crime rate 'My forever car': Victims of theft urge community action to lower crime rate](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/37qTRiw9gHRe7AczHzCfjaK/3314edeb-4fc6-4806-8f6b-63ea146c1322.jpg/r0_0_1984_282_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)