Crime hot spots on the Sunshine Coast revealed

Assault numbers reached a 20-year high last year and figures for 2023 indicate the trend is rising. Find out where the crime hot spots are on the Coast.

Sunshine Coast police on patrol at the Ocean Street safe night precinct in Maroochydore. Picture: Patrick Woods

Assault numbers reached a 20-year high in 2022 and if the first six months of 2023 are any indication the trend appears likely to continue.

The Sunshine Coast Daily has broken down the statistics to reveal the most dangerous streets and suburbs on the Sunshine Coast.

Queensland Police Service crime data has revealed that in the past six months 9170 offences have been committed across the region, with the data excluding crimes involving sexual assault.

This was due in part to more reporting of crimes to police.

Overall crime figures in the Sunshine Coast region over the last six months. Picture: Queensland Police Service

Maroochydore, Caloundra, Kawana and Nambour far outstrip surrounding suburbs in overall crime statistics.

When it comes to violent crimes, like assault, the Kawana and Caloundra region were top of the list with 211 offences committed in the last six months.

Heat map of assaults in the Sunshine Coast region in 2023. Picture: Queensland Police Service

But when it boils down to the concentration of those crimes at a street level, Ocean St in Maroochydore comes out on top with 15 assaults since November last year and over 40 in the surrounding streets and Sunshine Plaza.

John Calcino, who owns the Ocean St bar Post Office, said the street had gotten a worse rap than it deserved.

“It’s not as bad as what people are saying,” he said.

“In my venue we will get 2000 people scanned in on a weekend and we might have two or three instances of misbehaviour.

“That is a very, very low proportion.”

Sunshine Coast police search people for knives in the Ocean St party precinct in Maroochydore. Picture: Letea Cavander

Mr Calcino said the strong police presence in the area and the introduction of mandatory scanning of IDs after 10pm has had a huge effect.

“Before we had the scanners it was a lot more than that,” he said.

“It is unbelievably different now, it is so much better but you can’t stop everyone from being aggressive.

“There will always be d--kheads on that street who will get angry for any little tiny reason.”

The number of assaults on Ocean St in Maroochydore and surrounds. Picture: Queensland Police Service

Other noteworthy notorious streets on the Coast for assaults include Bowman Rd and Bulcock St in Caloundra, around Kawana Shoppingworld and various locations around Nambour’s main road Currie St and train station.

Queensland crimes statistics show that assaults in the Sunshine Coast region hit a 20-year high in 2022, with this year’s stats looking likely to also surpass pre-Covid-19 levels at 582 offences in the past six months.

Assault numbers on the Sunshine Coast since 2001.

For nonviolent crimes, such as theft, unlawful entry and robbery, areas like Coolum, Sippy Downs, and Beerwah started to emerge.

Simpson St in Beerwah earnt a dishonourable mention, with 18 recorded thefts, one unlawful entry and one robbery all recorded in the last six months.

Heat map of theft, unlawful entry and robbery crimes on the Sunshine Coast in 2023. Picture: Queensland Police Service

Thieves seemed to favour Williamson Ln in Caloundra, with 21 thefts recorded, and there was at least 30 thefts along David Low Way in Coolum.

But it surely comes as no surprise that the largest amounts of recorded thefts was from the Coast’s largest shopping centre Sunshine Plaza in Maroochydore, with 237 total incidents.

As for the Noosa region, crime is particularly focused around Tewantin and Noosa Heads.

Cooroy has also logged 164 reports of crime in the last six months.

Along Noosa’s popular Hastings St precinct there were at least 200 crimes reported.

Crime reports along Hastings St in Noosa. Picture: Queensland Police Service