INTERACTIVE MAP, LIST: Ipswich’s most dangerous streets, suburbs revealed

Ipswich’s most dangerous streets of 2023 have been revealed, and the results may surprise you. Search your street to see which crimes have allegedly been committed there in the past month.

Ipswich’s most dangerous streets of 2023 have been revealed.

New data has revealed which Ipswich suburbs are the most dangerous of 2023, with dozens of streets allegedly falling victim to crimes ranging from assault to fraud and drug offences.

The Ipswich suburb where crime was most prevalent in January was Redbank Plains, followed by Goodna and Ipswich — each racking up alleged offence numbers in the triple digits — then Booval, Brassall, North Ipswich, Leichhardt, Redbank, Bellbird Park, and Bundamba.

Many residents of Redbank Plains, where nearly 200 offences took place last month, have recently expressed concern for the “substantial” surge in crime they have experienced as of late.

It was only in November that some such people told The Queensland Times of the traumas their children were facing as a result of allegedly being attacked, “ganged up” on, or “chased” while at public locations including Redbank Plains Town Square.

A Quest News investigation undertaken in December found that the suburb was also the most dangerous of 2022.

Tens of thefts allegedly took place at Redbank Plains Town Square last month. Picture: File

A total of 2162 alleged offences were committed in Redbank Plains last year, with Goodna, Ipswich, North Ipswich, and Booval trailing closely behind.

So far this year, theft has been the most common crime allegedly committed in Redbank Plains with about 33 instances at, or in the vicinity of, Redbank Plains Town Square.

The most dangerous street in the suburb is Redbank Plains Rd, along which more than 44 crimes allegedly took place, followed by Mount Juillerat Dr, Argyle St, Kruger Pde, then Cardwell St.

Police pictured after chasing a vehicle in a high speed pursuit to a shopping centre carpark at Redbank Plains in September. Picture: Steve Pohlner

A criminologist at the University of Queensland Dr Renee Zahnow said crime could be rife at this time of year for a number of reasons, including that young people had been on holidays with limited supervision and plenty of time, and residents had been leaving their homes open to try and keep cool.

“The other thing that’s happening is we are having an increase in cost of living and that increases stress,” Dr Zahnow said.

“Parents can’t give kids money, can’t give kids as much stuff, so whether it’s kids or whether it’s adults it increases strain and it increases theft because people are going looking for things.”

The Ipswich police station. Picture: David Clark

Police data indicated the city’s shopping centres were some of the most targeted places last month, which Dr Zahnow suggested could be reflective of a surge in food prices.

“What we have noticed since the cost of food has gone up is that people are actually just stealing normal groceries,” she said.

“So it’s not necessarily youth, this is actually theft from shopping centres because people are stealing food to eat. And it’s families, parents, just stealing food because (the cost of) fresh food has gone up an immense amount.”

See an interactive map of the 20 most dangerous streets in Ipswich’s 10 most crime-affected suburbs.

In Goodna, assaults allegedly occurred more often than any other crime and on many streets. The most assaults to allegedly take place on any one street last month was three at Caldwell St.

Thefts were allegedly also fairly common in the suburb, as well as good order offences, drug offences, and property damage offences.

Cramp St allegedly experienced the most crime in Goodna, with three instances related to property, two to drugs, two to weapons, and others to assault, unlawful entry, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, and good behaviour orders.

Assaults allegedly occurred in high numbers in the Ipswich CBD and Brassall, thefts in Booval, Brassall, North Ipswich, Redbank, Bellbird Park, and Bundamba, and drug offences in the Ipswich CBD.

The Ipswich courthouse is located on the city’s fourth most dangerous street of 2023, Ellenborough St. Picture: Rob Williams

Ellenborough St in the CBD was allegedly one of the city’s most crime-affected streets. Police recorded 31 offences including nine connected to drugs and four to assault.

High levels of alleged thefts made Brisbane Rd and South Station Rd in Booval, Hunter St in Brassall, The Terrace in North Ipswich, and Collingwood Dr in Redbank areas perhaps worth avoiding.

Search your street name in our interactive table of Ipswich’s 10 most dangerous suburbs to see which crimes have allegedly been committed there in the past four weeks.