YouGov poll shows Queenslanders living in state of fear over youth crime epidemic

Three quarters of Queenslanders share one common response that proves the state’s youth crime crisis is spiralling out of control.

Three quarters of Queenslanders have made efforts to fortify their homes against thieves in the last 12 months with nearly half believing youth crime was either up or at crisis point in their suburb.

And nearly one in every five respondents to the Courier-Mail’s exclusive YouGov poll felt mostly or very unsafe in their own homes.

The poll also revealed a whopping 76 per cent had taken action in the last 12 months to improve their home security.

Separately to the polling, The Courier-Mail approached victims of three recent high-profile crimes, including publican Michael Falvey and doctor Angelo Justus, who said even a souped up security system doesn’t fix lingering anxiety after the sanctity of their home had been breached.

Ascot residents Peter and Kim Falvey and there son Michael were woken in the early hours of the morning with three people trying to break-in to their home. Picture: David Clark

The poll, conducted between October 4 and 10, comes amid moves by the state government to look tough on crime through significant and sometimes controversial shifts in policy.

But so far community perception on safety and youth crime levels has not shifted.

Of the 1013 Queenslanders polled by YouGov 46 per cent believed youth crime was up or at crisis point in their suburb, up from 45 per cent in April.

And 19 per cent feel very unsafe or mostly unsafe, up from 15 per cent in April.

While 78 per cent of Queenslanders feel very safe or mostly safe in their own homes, nearly the same amount (76 per cent) have taken action in the last 12 months to improve their home security.

The most popular option, adopted by 60 per cent of Queenslanders, was to lock all their doors while they are home while 30 per cent chose to install security cameras.

Cabinet minister Leanne Linard said the “government is always concerned if Queenslanders don’t feel safe”, and insisted the safety of residents was a priority.

“That’s why we are so focused on this issue,” the Environment Minister said in response to the findings of the polling.

“One crime is one crime too many ... everybody has a right to feel safe in their homes.”

Ms Linard, who served as the state’s youth justice minister before a cabinet reshuffle in May, said the government was committed to addressing crime rates across Queensland.

“The government is investing in more police on the front line,” she said.

“They’re investing in high visibility patrols and we have already seen a significant number (of criminals captured) -- over 2500 arrests on over 4000 offences.

“But we also know we need to stop the cycle of offending and that means investing in evidence-based programs to ensure people do not come back in the system.”

And home security specialists say the results match the experience on the ground, with businesses run off their feet due to demand.

Brisbane Security Alarm Systems owner Bob Pearce said he has been installing systems for more than 20 years and it has been the busiest he’s ever been.

“Everyone wants security these days much more than they used to,” he said.

“It’s always been bad but it’s never been as bad as it is now.

“We doing installations, all day, every day and dozens and dozens and dozens of other companies are doing the same.”

Mr Falvey, whose family owns hotels in Goodna and Yamanto, said he moved quickly to upgrade the security system at the businesses after an attempted break-in in April.

It was the same month he had to defend his Ascot home alongside his father Peter after three teenagers broke in.

Mr Falvey said the incident had left his mother Kim feeling “uncomfortable.”

Angelo Justus was the victim of a carjacking in Bulimba. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Dr Justus said he struggled to feel safe in his home after a car jacking outside his Bulimba home in June.

After the incident he increased his home security by getting 24/7 CCTV across the house, a security system with alarms upstairs and downstairs, trackers on the car and steering locks.

“It just gives a bit of peace of mind for us when we are even at home that no one is accessing the downstairs,” he said.

“But having said that, it hasn’t made us feel any safer. All of this would not have been a deterrent to that crime that happened that day.”

Businessman Matthew Wright spent $10,000 on his home security system and said it was worth it after his perimeter alarm alerted him to thieves breaking into his Bulimba home in July.

He called the cops and rushed home from his business Cars4US which was a 15 minute drive.

It gave him enough time to call the police and make it home before they took off with an estimated $17,000 worth of items.

CCTV footage of Angelo Justus’ driveway in Bulimba.

Queensland Police Acting Senior Sergeant Matt Shaw from the North Brisbane District Crime Prevention Unit said the number one was to lock doors, windows, cat doors and cars.

“Offenders by nature will find the easiest place to get in,” he said.

Sergeant Shaw said there were lots of cost-free measures that could be taken to improve home security.

“Always make it look like your home, so if you‘re not using the car, park it out on the driveway so it looks like there’s someone make sure your letterbox is always clean. Make sure your bins are always taken in as soon as possible after they’ve been collected,” he said.

Sergeant Shaw said renters particularly struggled with home security because landlords wouldn’t spend money on a house that’s not theirs.

“So things like shrubbery around the front of your house anywhere that can conceal someone that can sort of haul it away as cars drive past or people walk past,” he said.

“They‘re steps that you can take straight up that don’t cost anything that will sort of put a second thought in the mind of an offender that may be walking past.”

CCTV shows a youth breaking into a home in Bulimba.

Queensland Police Acting Senior Sergeant Matt Shaw from the North Brisbane District Crime Prevention Unit said Queenslanders could best protect themselves by simply locking doors, windows and cars.

“Offenders by nature will find the easiest place to get in,” he said.

“Always make it look like your home, so if you‘re not using the car, park it out on the driveway so it looks like there’s someone make sure your letterbox is always clean. Make sure your bins are always taken in as soon as possible after they’ve been collected,” he said.

Queenslanders also felt more or less safe depending on where they lived, with 22 per cent in the regions reporting feeling mostly or very unsafe compared to 19 per cent in the southeast and 15 per cent in Brisbane.

Many Queenslanders believe youth crime is at a crisis point, the poll revealed.

Regional Queenslanders also viewed youth crime was increasing or at crisis point (52 per cent) at a proportion greater than the southeast outside Brisbane (46 per cent) and in the capital city (40 per cent)

Nearly half of LNP voters believed youth crime was increasing or at crisis point in their suburb compared to 39 per cent of Labor voters.

It is among a series of bad results for the nine-year-old state government, with the new polling showing Annastacia Palaszczuk is no longer the preferred Premier for the first time as the LNP extends its two-party preferred lead.

Ms Palaszczuk is yet to directly address the polling, with her office telling journalists at a fire-related press conference on Friday she would not be answering questions about it.

It was revealed earlier this week major components of the 10-point plan announced by Premer Annastacia Palaszczuk in the aftermath of Emma Lovell’s murder on Boxing Day 2022 were not locked in hours before she made the plan public.

This was the start of a string of youth crime policy shifts this year which has included an about-turn on breach of bail as an offence after years of slamming the LNP for a similar idea.

They also controversially rushed through emergency laws which allow children to be held at watch houses indefinitely, in a move prompting the override of Labor’s own human rights laws for the second time.

In October Ms Palaszczuk announced a new $250m youth remand centre designed to hold 50 children will be “rapidly” built under the state government’s latest plan to deal with an increase in the number of kids having to be locked up.

Queensland now locks up more children than any other jurisdiction except the Northern Territory and the population behind bars has increased in the aftermath of the breach of bail laws.