Cairns youth crime hits an all time high in 2022

Tens of millions of dollars worth of cars were ripped off by thieves across Cairns in 2022. See the numbers here and what’s happening next.

TENS of millions of dollars worth of cars were ripped off by thieves across Cairns in 2022, with a whopping 65 per cent increase year-on-year increase in numbers, and the city setting an unenviable stolen car record in the process.

Officially, police figures for Cairns in the final week of December have tallied 1289 stolen cars for 2022, though that number will increase when the final statistics are released later this week.

In 2021, the total number of stolen cars for the year only managed to total 782.

It means thieves made off with, on average, three and a half cars per day in Cairns, for each day of 2022, up from 2.14 cars a day in 2021.

But behind the figures, there’s a significant toll the stolen car crisis has taken upon Cairns residents.

And in many cases it extends beyond the loss of the vehicle itself.

Construction business owner Max Cherepanov had his HiLux stolen earlier in December.

He’s still without his car, which was the backbone of his work.

Mr Cherepanov’s Hilux along with approximately half of the tools he owns was taken from his home in Mareeba and was found in Mooroobool after being rolled over twice on the morning of Sunday, December 11.

Mr Cherepanov said he had been without income since the car was stolen.

“My whole income was based off that car – I have a wife and a nine-month-old at home so my income was holding us together,” he said.

“We couldn’t afford Christmas presents because I had lost my job with this car. We were suffering from depression and anxiety throughout all of Christmas, and a whole new world of sadness because our livelihood was just ripped from us.”

A stolen vehicle crashed out the front of the Spear N Tackle store on Aumuller St, Bungalow on Friday. Picture: Facebook

At a press conference on Monday, Acting Superintendent Kevin Goan said the year’s stolen car tally was on a scale not seen before in Cairns.

And he said a high percentage of those who were stealing cars were minors.

“Around 75% of those were considered to be youth,” Supt Goan said.

“Vehicles were stolen across the district so it’s difficult to say what the hot spots were when there were so many areas affected.

“It’s a very problematic issue for our community.”

Acting Superintendent Goan said the introduction of Operation Uniform Theta – a festive season police blitz against juvenile crime – had resulted in a “reduction” in stolen cars over the Christmas period.

“Operation Uniform Theta has enabled us to put the resources where they’re required and we’ve already seen our figures begin to decrease,” Supt Goan said.

“There is a lot of work that has to be done from a policing perspective and we are working hard to pull our weight.

“Usually there is a bigger problem than just stolen cars and where to locate them and it’s about getting to the bottom of that to prevent this happening in the future.”

Kevin Goan. Picture: Nuno Avendano

The rate of stolen cars across Cairns reached a peak of 162 in March at 5.22 cars thefts per day, just weeks after the tragic death of 14-year-old Bradley Smith in an allegedly stolen car at 1am February 14.

And while youth crime was a major issue for Cairns, the entirety of the state appeared to be at the mercy of juvenile criminals, with claims for stolen cars in Toowoomba and the Gold Coast close behind that of Cairns.

RACQ spokeswoman Lauren Cooney said RACQ saw a 20% increase in car theft claims between financial year 2021 and financial year 2022 throughout all of Queensland.

According to RACQ data, Cairns has had an 87.5% increase in car theft claims from the financial year of 2021 to 2022.

Ms Cooney said motorists can’t be complacent about vehicle security.

“Wherever possible, try and park in a garage or gated driveway, or when you’re not at home in a secure car park,” she said.

“If that’s not available, choose somewhere well-lit and well-populated to reduce the temptation for opportunistic thieves.

“Make sure, whenever you leave your vehicle, your windows are up, doors are locked and don’t leave your valuables visible in the car.”

RACQ revealed they received 1,827 claims for stolen vehicles across Queensland last financial year.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk rounded out the year by announcing a suite of increased penalties to combat the state’s youth crime issues.

She said that violent criminals including young people should receive “harsher punishments” and the community must be protected.

“Crime, especially youth crime, is a complex issue but community safety must come first,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“All of the programs to divert children away from crime will continue but the community is demanding tougher penalties too.”

Among the new measures are increasing the maximum penalty for stealing cars from seven years to 10 years imprisonment, a more severe penalty of 14 years if the offence is committed at night, and a $9.89m fast-track sentencing program in Brisbane, Townsville, Southport and Cairns so children spend less time on remand and more time serving their sentences.

To help the prevention of car theft in the first place, $10 million will be provided to supply 20,000 engine immobilisers to be trialled in Mt Isa, Cairns and Townsville.

The immobilisers are expected to be introduced by mid-2023 and will be implemented through a subsidy grant where the general public can apply for it.

A spokesman for Police Minister Mark Ryan said there were a variety of immobilisers available, but essentially there were two broad categories.

“There are immobilisers that prevent someone from starting the car in the first place and there are immobilisers that allow the car to be disabled in the event it is stolen,” the man said.

“Vehicle owners will be able to apply for a grant/subsidy to help cover the cost of an immobiliser.”

Originally published as Cairns youth crime hits an all time high in 2022