Worst suburbs for break-ins revealed as residents warned to be wary over festive season

New figures have shown some Gold Coast suburbs are burglary hot spots, while the crime barely registers in other areas. See how your suburb fares.

Coastal suburbs including Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach are burglary hot spots, while the crime is barely heard of in hinterland communities, new figures show.

Statistics from the RACQ show in the 4217 postcode – covering Surfers Paradise, Benowa, Bundall and Main Beach – the insurer paid out on a higher ratio of theft claims than anywhere else on the Gold Coast.

The 4218 postcode, covering Broadbeach and Mermaid Beach, was not far behind, while Coolangatta also featured prominently.

However RACQ customers in Tallebudgera and Mount Tamborine were almost completely unaffected by the crime, with only one claim paid in each suburb in the last three years.

RACQ Group Executive Insurance Trent Sayers.

The figures were released as the RACQ and police warned residents thieves will be on the look-out for easy prey over the festive season, when many people will be away from home.

Queensland Police Service Acting Inspector Dallas Kowald said cars keys and parcels were targets for thieves.

“While it is always offenders who are doing the wrong thing and choosing to commit offences, we also know there are ways we, as individuals and as a community, can reduce opportunities for these offences to occur,” Acting Inspector Kowald said.

“Make a conscious effort to lock doors and windows prior to leaving and ensure you remove valuables, such as spare keys for any vehicles which may be kept at the property, from sight.

“Around the holiday period there tends to be an increase in online shopping, which means more parcels are delivered to homes. These parcels can be the target for offenders.

“We are encouraging residents to ensure their mail and parcels are protected from theft by collecting them in a timely manner, providing specific instructions to place the parcel in a safe location, or using secure collection points such as parcel lockers.”

While the figures showed theft offences occurring at a relatively low rate on the Gold Coast, RACQ Group Executive Insurance Trent Sayers stressed they covered the period of Covid-19 measures when instances of the crime plummeted because people were staying at home.

Mr Sayers warned people travelling over Christmas to be careful not to advertise their absence on social media.

“While the pandemic resulted in a drop in break-ins, as more people plan to head away over the summer, now is not the time for complacency when it comes to securing our properties,” Mr Sayers said.

“Our research shows three quarters of Queenslanders are concerned about being broken into while away on holidays, with most (67 per cent) taking extra home security measures.

“In addition to making sure all entry points to your home are secure, extra precautions can include having a house sitter or someone check on your property regularly, having your mail collected, leaving lights on timers, and having security cameras.

“It’s also worth rethinking what you share on social media. Our research found almost half of Queenslanders post pictures of their holiday adventures online while they’re away. However, be mindful opportunistic thieves may use this information against you.”

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Originally published as Worst suburbs for break-ins revealed as residents warned to be wary over festive season