CRIME: Kidnapping up 135 per cent in Wide Bay-Burnett area
ACCORDING to a recent report by the Queensland Government, Wide Bay-Burnett reports a higher rate of murder, kidnapping, and domestic violence breaches than surrounding areas.
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WHEN compared with the Darling Downs, Moreton Bay (north), Moreton Bay (south), and the Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay-Burnett topped the charts in incidents of murder, kidnapping and abduction, weapons act offences, drug offences, and breached domestic violence orders, according to the 2018-19 editions of the Queensland Crime Report.
In these listed area, the region also reported the highest number of good order offences (public nuisance, disobeying police orders etc.), life-endangering offences (ill treatment of children, driving causing grievous bodily harm, strangulation in a domestic setting etc.), and property damage (graffiti, unlawful damage to property, and wilfully killing, maiming, or wounding an animal).
When compared to these surrounding regions, we've seen the second highest increase in overall crime - a 7.3% increase - between 2018 and 2019. Moreton Bay south saw the highest increase at 9.8%.
Between 2018 and 2019, the rate of kidnapping and abduction saw the steepest increase, skyrocketing by a whooping 134.4%. Murder came in second with a 65.3% rise.
Incidents of arson have taken off, with a 54% increase, and reports of handling stolen goods have risen by 61.3%.
While reports of assault are down by 7.6%, reports of assault resulting in grievous bodily harm have risen by 17.5%.
Similarly, while incidents of robbery have only increased by 12.1%, reports of armed robbery have increased by 37.5%.
Breaches of domestic violence orders actually dropped by 9.9% between 2018-19, however reports have grown by 102.8% since 2010.
In response to the ever-rising crime rates in the South Burnett region, opposition leader Deb Frecklington said action must be taken to both strengthen the legal system, as well as tackle the root cause of crime in our community.
"Everyone in the South Burnett deserves to live safely and free from the threat of crime and domestic violence," she said.
"The LNP has a real plan for action to reduce crime rates and tackle domestic violence. The LNP will grow police numbers by hundreds across the state, but importantly we will provide the laws our hard-working police need."
"The LNP will introduce tougher laws for domestic violence perpetrators, tougher laws for gun crime, tougher laws for youth crime and tougher laws to crackdown on organised crime gangs that peddle drugs to our kids."
"I have also announced a plan to introduce a child sex offender register in Queensland so parents would be able to discover the identity of child sex offenders living in their neighbourhood."
Mrs Frecklington said building a stronger economy and creating jobs will also serve to reduce the crime rate in the South Burnett.
According to data released by the QPS, in Kingaroy alone, the number of reported offences rose from 1850 to 2370 between 2018 and 2019.
We've seen reported drug use rise from 438 to 827, and breaches of domestic violence order rise from 80 to 126 cases.
Ten months into 2020, Kingaroy has already seen the highest rates of arson since 2002.
All statistics listed below were reported between 2018-2019
Total reported offences
Wide Bay: 29 915
Toowoomba: 19 261
Darling Downs: 14 140
Moreton Bay - north: 30 412
Moreton Bay - south: 14 459
Sunshine Coast: 27 245
Murder
Wide Bay: 5
Toowoomba: 0
Darling Downs: 0
Moreton Bay - north: 2
Moreton Bay - south: 3
Sunshine Coast: 1
Attempted murder, conspiracy to murder and manslaughter
Wide Bay: 2
Toowoomba: 4
Darling Downs: 3
Moreton Bay - north: 8
Moreton Bay - south: 2
Sunshine Coast: 7
Assault
Wide Bay: 1349
Toowoomba: 671
Darling Downs: 546
Moreton Bay - north: 1103
Moreton Bay - south: 464
Sunshine Coast: 903
Rape and attempted rape
Wide Bay: 132
Toowoomba: 78
Darling Downs: 81
Moreton Bay - north: 273
Moreton Bay - south: 55
Sunshine Coast: 106
Sexual offences not including rape (indecent treatment of children, incest, indecent assault, bestiality, wilful obscene exposure, and other sexual offences)
Wide Bay: 345
Toowoomba: 125
Darling Downs: 142
Moreton Bay - north: 425
Moreton Bay - south: 102
Sunshine Coast: 186
Robbery
Wide Bay: 95
Toowoomba: 52
Darling Downs: 20
Moreton Bay - north: 133
Moreton Bay - south: 81
Sunshine Coast: 98
Kidnapping and abduction
Wide Bay: 26
Toowoomba: 6
Darling Downs: 14
Moreton Bay - north: 19
Moreton Bay - south: 11
Sunshine Coast: 13
Stalking
Wide Bay: 31
Toowoomba: 26
Darling Downs: 26
Moreton Bay - north: 42
Moreton Bay - south: 30
Sunshine Coast: 26
Extortion
Wide Bay: 5
Toowoomba: 2
Darling Downs: 1
Moreton Bay - north: 8
Moreton Bay - south: 3
Sunshine Coast: 3
Other life-endangering offences (ill treatment of children, bomb threats, strangulation in a domestic setting, driving causing grievous bodily harm, endangering lives on transport, and other life endangering acts)
Wide Bay: 301
Toowoomba: 72
Darling Downs: 94
Moreton Bay - north: 270
Moreton Bay - south: 70
Sunshine Coast: 201
Unlawful entry
Wide Bay: 2086
Toowoomba: 3247
Darling Downs: 784
Moreton Bay - north: 2015
Moreton Bay - south: 1186
Sunshine Coast: 1572
Arson
Wide Bay: 87
Toowoomba: 30
Darling Downs: 69
Moreton Bay - north: 110
Moreton Bay - south: 34
Sunshine Coast: 68
Other property damage (graffiti, unlawful damage to property, wilfully kill, maim, or wound an animal)
Wide Bay: 2440
Toowoomba: 1112
Darling Downs: 854
Moreton Bay - north: 2057
Moreton Bay - south: 987
Sunshine Coast: 1835
Unlawful use of motor vehicle
Wide Bay: 640
Toowoomba: 507
Darling Downs: 252
Moreton Bay - north: 873
Moreton Bay - south: 470
Sunshine Coast: 715
Other theft
Wide Bay: 6112
Toowoomba: 6105
Darling Downs: 1917
Moreton Bay - north: 7866
Moreton Bay - south: 4579
Sunshine Coast: 6686
Fraud
Wide Bay: 1348
Toowoomba: 1103
Darling Downs: 589
Moreton Bay - north: 1965
Moreton Bay - south: 826
Sunshine Coast: 1344
Handling stolen goods
Wide Bay: 301
Toowoomba: 256
Darling Downs: 100
Moreton Bay - north: 366
Moreton Bay - south: 159
Sunshine Coast: 269
Drug offences
Wide Bay: 5,369
Toowoomba: 3,750
Darling Downs: 3,498
Moreton Bay - north: 5,091
Moreton Bay - south: 2,221
Sunshine Coast: 4,596
Breach domestic violence order
Wide Bay: 2,097
Toowoomba: 729
Darling Downs: 641
Moreton Bay - north: 1,912
Moreton Bay - south: 704
Sunshine Coast: 1,262
Weapons act offences
Wide Bay: 646
Toowoomba: 315
Darling Downs: 306
Moreton Bay - north: 561
Moreton Bay - south: 224
Sunshine Coast: 419
Good order offences (Disobey move-on direction, resist, incite, hinder, obstruct, fare evasion, and public nuisance)
Wide Bay: 2,982
Toowoomba: 2,380
Darling Downs: 1,570
Moreton Bay - north: 2,369
Moreton Bay - south: 1,064
Sunshine Coast: 2,912
Traffic offences
Wide Bay: 2,684
Toowoomba: 1,886
Darling Downs: 2,209
Moreton Bay - north: 2,384
Moreton Bay - south: 954
Sunshine Coast: 3,205
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