Ultimate list: The Cairns hot spots targeted by car theft crims

Crime figures have revealed an exact break down on where each of the 591 cars ripped off this year were stolen from. SEE HOW YOUR SUBURB RANKS.

LATEST police crime figures have revealed an exact breakdown on where each of the 591 cars ripped off this year were stolen from and which Cairns neighbourhoods were the worst for home break ins.

Skyrocketing car theft rates have been quantified by police data that recorded 591 vehicles have been stolen to date this year to surpass the 12-month total of 559 in 2018.

If the current trend continues in 2022 a six-year stolen car record of 782 set last year will be easily surpassed come December 31.

An allegedly stolen late model Toyota Corolla was stopped by police tyre spikes in Brinsmead this week. Picture: Greg Soandso

Yorkeys Knob resident Joseph Fitzgibbon was one of the 12 vehicle owners that woke on Thursday morning to discover a vacant space where cars used to be.

A frustrated Mr Fitzgibbon said being in a gated security complex gave a false sense of safety and thieves managed to scale a fence and force open the front door with a pair of vice grips undetected while he was sleeping.

“We thought that we’re really kind of safe from it all,” he said.

“Then when my partner went down to go to work he said that my car had been pinched.

“According to the locksmith, they’re targeting specific door handles because they figured out the mechanism and they just put a vice grip on it and, bang, it opens.”

Mr Fitzgibbon said five other units in the same complex had car keys stolen on Wednesday night.

The latest car theft data reveals Parramatta Park and Manoora in a dead heat for the unenviable accolade as Cairns’ worst suburb for car thefts this year. However in a surprise result Edge Hill had more vehicles stolen than Woree and Mount Sheridan in the past six months. Clifton Beach, Kamerunga and Trinity Park were the safest.

Yorkeys Knob resident Mr Fitzgibbon is following in the footsteps of hundreds of homeowners across the city this year organising new locks, replacement hire vehicles and sleepless nights after being invaded when most vulnerable.

“Last night I barely slept a wink,” he said.

On top of anxiety at night and the loss of work hours Mr Fitzgibbon’s car was recovered by Cairns police on Friday badly damaged.

“It’s been trashed, exterior has damage to every panel, graffiti all through the interior and irreplaceable sentimental belongings have been taken from the car” he said.

STOLEN CAR STATS

37. ELLIS BEACH

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 0

Unlawful entry 1

36. EAST TRINITY

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 2

Unlawful entry 3

35.CLIFTON BEACH

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 2

Unlawful entry 16

34. KAMERUNGA

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 3

Unlawful entry 7

33. TRINITY PARK

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 3

Unlawful entry 17

32.MACHANS BEACH

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 3

Unlawful entry 17

31.STRATFORD

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 6

Unlawful entry 20

30. KANIMBLA

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 6

Unlawful entry 25

29. KEWARRA BEACH

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 9

Unlawful entry 15

28. CARAVONICA

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 10

Unlawful entry: 23

Network Car Rentals had six vehicles stolen in one night earlier this year after youths broke through a window of the Westcourt business and stole the keys to the hire cars. Peter Ryan of Capital Glass and Aluminium measures up a new glass panel to fix the damage caused by the juveniles. Picture: Brendan Radke

27. HOLLOWAYS BEACH

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 12

Unlawful entry 25

26.PALM COVE

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 12

Unlawful entry 26

25. PORTSMITH

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 14

Unlawful entry 26

24. BAYVIEW HEIGHTS

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 15

Unlawful entry 35

23.FRESHWATER

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 15

Unlawful entry 42

22.AEROGLEN

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 16

Unlawful entry 13

21. YORKEYS KNOB

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 23

Unlawful entry 57

20. EARLVILLE

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 25

Unlawful entry 126

19. REDLYNCH

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 24

Unlawful entry 84

18.SMITHFIELD

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 28

Unlawful entry 75

17.TRINITY BEACH

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 28

Unlawful entry 73

16. BRINSMEAD

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 29

Unlawful entry 77

15.WHITE ROCK

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 32

Unlawful entry 156

14.WHITFIELD

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 36

Unlawful entry 118

13. BUNGALOW

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 36

Unlawful entry 113

12. MOUNT SHERIDAN

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 38

Unlawful entry 139

11.WOREE

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 39

Unlawful entry 111

10.WESTCOURT

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 39

Unlawful entry 158

9. EDGE HILL

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 40

Unlawful entry 89

8. GORDONVALE

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 44

Unlawful entry 172

7. CAIRNS CITY

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 43

Unlawful entry 132

6. MOOROOBOOL

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 48

Unlawful entry 183

5. EDMONTON

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 52

Unlawful entry 197

4. CAIRNS NORTH

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 64

Unlawful entry 229

3. MANUNDA

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 74

Unlawful entry 225

2. PARRAMATTA PARK

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 91

Unlawful entry 228

1. MANOORA

Unlawful use of motor vehicle 91

Unlawful entry 326

Originally published as Ultimate list: The Cairns hot spots targeted by car theft crims