Bundaberg CBD records highest level of thefts

Thieves struck at least 550 times across Bundaberg in the past six months, but some suburbs are more likely to get hit than others. New police data has revealed when and where thieves are most likely to strike.

Shocking new police data has indicated a jump in the number of thefts in Bundaberg in the past 12 months.

About 214 thefts were recorded in August 2022, compared to 155 in August 2021 -a rise of 38 per cent.

Bundaberg police have made frequent callouts to the public for any information to help identify the perpetrators of these crimes, and offered advice about the importance of properly locking up cars, homes and businesses.

Opportunistic thieves are still on the prowl though, with a number of incidents in the past two months.

Queensland Police Service data shows more than 550 thefts have occurred in the Bundaberg district in the past six months, with more than 300 of them in the last 12 weeks.

Recent crimes include stolen vehicles and stealing from businesses.

About 9pm on September 2, 2022, and 12 midnight on September 3, a gold 2001 Nissan Pathfinder Wagon bearing Qld registration plates of 810GGS was stolen from a carport on Maynard Street in Norville.

On September 5, police appealed for assistance regarding two break and enters on August 27 at a business on Johanna Boulevard, Kensington where thieves gained entry and stole Makita power tools.

Later that evening, two men gained entry to the same business and stole household items, tools and plant pots.

Between August 10-11, a red and black tracked 2021 Honda Pioneer UTV was stolen from a property on Kirbys Road, Kalkie.

Crime stats for every Bundaberg suburb:

Avoca

Forty six thefts took place in Avoca between March and September 2022.

Sugarland Shopping Centre was the main target, recording 23 offences.

Mondays and Saturdays were the most popular days for crime, mostly between 1-8pm.

Thieves also frequently struck on Saturdays between 2-10pm, and most likely between 8am and 2pm on Mondays.

Millbank

Neighbouring the suburb of Avoca, Millbank is home to Salter Oval and a number of popular takeaway outlets.

Thieves tended to offend during the week in Millbank, most notably on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Most offences occurred between noon and midnight, but 5pm was the most recorded time for crime to be committed.

Bundaberg West

A little further down the road sits Bundaberg West, the location of Bundaberg Hospital.

According to data, police recorded 39 thefts in this suburb since March 2022.

Wednesdays and Fridays topped the charts from crime of this type, especially in the mornings.

Thieves tend to use the 6am to 2pm window of opportunity on Wednesdays, while Friday night offences seem to be more common after 10pm.

Of the 39 thefts, 10 took place at midnight.

Ashfield

It seems the residents of family-friendly Ashfield don’t have much to worry about when it comes to theft.

The area recorded a single theft in recent months.

Thieves struck at midnight at the SSS Strawberries housing village on Saturday, July 23, but prefer to target the nearby suburb of Kepnock.

Kepnock

Walker Street and Elliott Heads Road in Kepnock have been the target of most thefts in recent months, with 19 recorded.

While most thefts happened on Sundays between 2-10pm and Tuesdays between 6am and 2pm, overall, midnight was the most likely time for thieves to strike on any day of the week.

Branyan

Branyan had one of the lowest level of thefts in the Bundaberg region.

Mondays and Saturdays have been the key days for thefts, between noon and 5pm.

Two thefts have occurred in the family-friendly suburb in the past six months.

Kensington

Businesses on Johanna Boulevard are more at risk of theft than any other part of the suburb.

12 of 24 offences occurred on the boulevard alone over the past six months, with Bunnings being targeted several times.

One incident, heard in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court, involved a young woman stealing a blowtorch from Bunnings to replace the one stolen from her home which belonged to a friend of hers.

The incident occurred on a Saturday.

In the early hours of a Monday morning of September 5, thieves stole power Makita tools from a business on the same thoroughfare.

Data shows Mondays and Saturdays have been the most reported days for stealing, with night time being the prime time for offenders.

Midnight and the early hours of the morning between 1am and 3am are more likely times for thieves to strike.

Sharon

Sharon residents can sleep soundly knowing they’ve locked up their houses and cars properly, with just two thefts recorded in recent months.

Thefts have taken place between noon and midnight on a Monday and Friday.

Bargara

Most thefts occurred on a Monday in Bargara between 2-10pm, however, 10am and midnight were the two times thieves stole the most throughout the week overall.

While most of those reports were from Bargara Central Shopping Centre, a number of houses between Mary Kinross Park and Bargara Road near the shopping centre were targeted in recent months.

60 thefts have taken place in the area over a six month period.

Thefts are more likely to occur on a Monday in Bargara. Source: QPS data.

Innes Park

Next door at Innes Park, one theft happened on July 26, and another most recently on September 4.

Both offences happened at midnight on a Sunday and Tuesday evening.

Elliott Heads

The sleepy seaside town of Elliott Heads managed to remain relatively free of theft.

Three thefts occurred in the past three months, two of those on a Wednesday.

One of those offences occurred at 10am and another at 7pm.

Burnett Heads

Known for its marina and good fish and chips, Burnett Heads is an idyllic spot for peace and quiet.

Just nine thefts have occurred in the area since March, with thieves striking five times at residences between Rowlands Road and Morris Street and twice on Geary Street.

Offences of this type have been occurring more on Friday’s between 9am and 2pm.

The good news for boaties is that none of these have occurred on the marina.

Calavos

Like other prime farming areas, Calavos is another suburb that came out relatively unscathed. Theft was not reported in the area since April, 2022, when one theft occurred on a Sunday at 2pm.

Bundaberg Central

A massive 164 thefts were recorded in the CBD in the past few months.

While these offences occurred every day at any hour in Bundaberg Central, data suggests it was more likely thieves would steal on Fridays between 6am and 10pm, and Sundays between 2pm and 10pm.

Twenty seven offences were recorded on both of those days in the past six months.

Tuesdays were also a highly likely day for thefts.

Twenty six offences have occurred on Tuesdays in the CBD between 6am and 10pm.

When taking all 164 thefts into consideration, data shows most of them took place from noon to midnight, with 37 of those thefts reported at Hinkler Shopping Centre.

On average, these offences are likely to occur at 2pm.

Bundaberg South

Further down from the CBD lays Bundaberg South, where 46 thefts were recorded, nine offences each on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.

Most of those thefts were reported to take place between the hours of 2pm and 6pm, and 17 of the 49 offences occurred on Targo Street.

Bundaberg North

You might not like Mondays, but thieves do, choosing this day to offend more than any day of the week in Bundaberg North.

Thirty-two offences occurred over north in the six months since March, where data shows thieves didn’t mind getting out and about to commit 16 offences between 9am and 3pm or 6pm and midnight.

However, they were most likely to strike between the hours of 2pm and 10pm on a Monday.

Coonarr

No offences of this kind occurred at Coonarr in the past six months, making it the safest place from theft offences in the last six months.

Goodwood

Only one reported theft has occurred in Goodwood over the past six months.

A rural facility was targeted by thieves on August 5, at Goodwood.

They gained entry via a loading dock, stealing fuel, a Makita battery charger, rattle gun, Lenova tablet, Apple iPad and tools.

According to data, the offence occurred at 1am on a Friday.

Kalkie

The suburb that shares the name of popular locally made gin, Kalkie Moon recorded just four offences in the past six months.

Thieves struck on a Saturday, any time between 1am and 6pm.

Qunaba

Perhaps it’s the stagnant volcano and steep roads that puts them off, but thieves are also less likely to strike in Qunaba than any other suburb.

Just three offences have occurred on The Hummock and surrounding streets in recent months, with two of those happening on Fridays around 3pm.

Rubyanna

Riddled with cane farms, Rubyanna residents seem to be pretty safe from this type of crime.

Just one offence has been reported to police in the past six months, occurring on Wednesday, May 11 at 3pm.

Mon Repos

The home of our beloved turtles is much the same as nearby Rubyanna.

A recent theft occurred on August 23 at Bargara State School, which sits on the suburban border of Bargara and Mon Repos.

Thieves targeted the popular state school at 2am on a Tuesday morning.

Woongarra

Woongarra has the third lowest amount of theft in the Bundaberg region, with just four thefts occurring since March.

According to data, a Sunday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday have been the days for theft in the area, between 8am and 11pm.

Bundaberg East

Thursdays are a prime time for thieves looking to canvas the Bundaberg East area. Over the past six months, more thefts have taken place between 6am and 2pm on Thursdays.

36 thefts have been recorded in Bundaberg East since March.

Thabeban

Recording just eight thefts in the last six months, Thabeban is at the lower end of the scale for this type of offence.

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays have been the main targets for thieves, most likely between the hours of 6pm and midnight.

Norville

Just one offence each has been recorded on Saturdays, Sundays and Tuesdays in Norville.

Most thefts have occurred on those days in the early hours between 2am and 3am.

Svensson Heights

Industrial area, Svensson Heights sits beside Norville.

According to data, the suburb is most likely to be attractive to thieves on Mondays and Thursdays anytime after 2pm.

Six of the 25 offences recorded in the past month happened about midnight.

Walkervale

The suburb locally renowned for Water Street Kitchen and an abundance of renovated Queenslanders is also a favourite of thieves.

They’re most likely to strike on Saturdays at midnight, according to Queensland Police data, with 11 of 28 thefts occurring at that time since March.

Moore Park Beach

It’s further away from the main Bundaberg district, but Moore Park Beach has had its small share of thefts in the past few months.

Remember to lock up on a Sunday - it’s the only day recorded to have three of seven offences occur at the beachside suburb since March, mainly between 5pm and midnight.