Data from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research shows areas where crimes are especially prevalent.

Across the Illawarra, many trouble spots for crime show up as bright red and orange splotches on a BOCSAR map (http://crimetool.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/bocsar/).

Shopping centres, train stations, restaurants, business districts, public housing estates and pedestrian thoroughfares are areas of particular concern.

The areas around McDonald's restaurants in Wollongong, Warrawong, Albion Park and Warilla are indicated as having "high" or "medium" density of non-domestic assaults.

In Dapto, an apparent "Holy Trinity" of a McDonald's restaurant, shopping centre and train station combine to give one of the darkest red marks on the map at the Princes Highway and Bong Bong Road.

Other hot spots for assaults include Stockland Shellharbour, Westfield Warrawong, Unanderra train station, Rothery Road at Bellambi, and Mangerton Road in Mangerton. The largest trouble spot on the map covers essentially the entire Wollongong CBD, from City Beach north to Campbell Street, west to Wollongong Hospital and south to MacCabe Park.

Unanderra train station is also a hot spot for robberies, as is Woonona train station, the University of Wollongong and a small section of Shellharbour's Wattle Road at Baragoot Road.

Break and enters are a real problem category for police, with red dots lighting up the map across the region.

Most of central Warrawong is under a large red smear, alongside Albert Street in Unanderra and Wyndarra Way in Kanahooka.

Problem areas in the northern suburbs include Grand Pacific Drive between Owen and Campbell streets in Woonona, and Brokers Road between Lang Street and Tucker Avenue in Balgownie.

Again, most of Wollongong CBD also recorded high numbers of break and enters.