Cars stolen by young criminals increased on the Fraser Coast in 2022

New data has revealed the Wide Bay-Burnett regions worst hit by car thefts amid an ongoing youth crime wave.

New data has revealed the regions worst hit by vehicle theft in Wide Bay-Burnett in 2022.

Stolen vehicle offences by young offenders nearly tripled on the Fraser Coast in 2022, according to police data obtained by the Courier Mail.

Juvenile criminals were charged with 84 unlawful use of motor vehicle offences on the Fraser Coast in the second half of 2022.

This compares with 30 offences in the first half of 2022, an alarming increase of 180 per cent throughout the year.

The data highlights a growing problem for the Fraser Coast, while other Wide Bay local government areas are experiencing reduced levels of stolen vehicle offences.

South Burnett is the big improver.

Starting the year with a Wide Bay-high of 37 stolen cars, only 19 stolen vehicle offences charged to young offenders were recorded in the South Burnett in the second half of 2022.

Vehicles stolen by young offenders also dropped in Gympie, Bundaberg and Cherbourg.

Only three stolen vehicle charges were brought against young offenders in the North Burnett in 2022.

Queensland Police was contacted for comment.

In 2021 Fraser Coast police told the Courier Mail that most vehicles in the region are stolen from unattended properties and incidents of sneak thieving where offenders sneak into homes to steal car keys to get access to vehicles.

More than 19,000 cars were stolen in Queensland last year, with a total value of $30.5 million – a jump of more than 36 per cent.