500+ crimes: Warwick’s most dangerous business areas revealed - list

Warwick businesses have become targets for illegal activity and racked up some of the region’s highest crime rates, with one recording close to 300 offences. The most dangerous areas in the Warwick CBD can now be revealed. Full list.

As Warwick residents are facing another outbreak of burglaries and property-related crime across the town, new police data has revealed the areas and businesses in the Rose City most often targeted by criminals.

From shopping complexes and supermarkets to petrol stations and pubs, this is your full breakdown of the crime reported at prominent business locations across Warwick.

Rose City Shoppingworld

Rose City Shoppingworld

Queensland Police data indicates the major Warwick shopping centre and the surrounding block has recorded the largest number of crimes within the past two years, with a total 275 offences.

Theft accounted for close to half of these with 127 reported in that time period, followed by 79 good order offences, 18 drug-related crimes, 14 reports of property damage and 12 of trespassing or vagrancy.

Rose City Shoppingworld remained Warwick’s top target for illegal activity in both the past year and six months, with a total of 147 and 58 alleged offences respectively.

Stealing remained the most reported crime across all time periods.

Rose City Shoppingworld is the only major shopping complex in Warwick and the wider Southern Downs, and is home to dozens of big-name brands and locally-owned stores.

The centre is owned by retail property developers McConaghy Group, which owns and operates shopping centres across regional Queensland and New South Wales.

Horse and Jockey Hotel Motel / surrounds

The popular pub and restaurant at the corner of Victoria and Palmerin Sts has attracted its fair share of crime within the past two years.

Police data indicates 58 total offences have been reported at the location within that time period, led by 12 assaults and 10 drug-related offences.

The remaining figure was largely accounted for by theft, good order offences, property damage or weapons offences, and traffic-related incidents on the surrounding streets.

Crime numbers dropped to 23 in the previous 12 months and again to only two within the past six.

Cnr Albion and Condamine Sts

Warwick KFC

The small compound at an intersection on one of Warwick’s busiest roads that is home to one of the town’s BP petrol stations, a KFC restaurant, and a Domino’s Pizza has also recorded a notable amount of criminal activity within the past two years.

Forty-two crimes have been reported at this location within the past two years, 25 of which were thefts.

This time period also saw four of each drug and good order offences, three of each traffic violations and fraud offences, and a smaller number of property damage and weapons-related crime.

These figures dropped slightly to 21 and 11 in the past 12 and six months respectively, but theft remained the most common offence regardless of time frame.

The mini complex is usually busiest in the evening and night due to the late opening hours of its businesses.

Cnr Grafton and Palmerin Sts

Criterion Hotel on Palmerin St.

Those businesses located within the cluster of shops at the intersection of Grafton and Palmerin Sts is another area within the Warwick CBD often targeted by criminals.

With 42 offences in total reported within the past two years, these were again largely accounted for by theft, good order offences, and property damage.

Five assaults were also recorded in the area and four reports of unlawful entry.

Twenty-six of this total have been reported in the past 12 months alone and only eight in the past six.

Nearby businesses include Wade Real Estate, Toyworkx, Little Gallery Cafe, and the Criterion Hotel.

Warwick Golf Club

The popular Warwick sporting venue has been repeatedly targeted by criminals within the past two years, perhaps most notably in the wave of break-ins and burglaries that swept the town earlier this year.

While only 11 crimes have been reported at the club or its immediate surrounds within the previous two years, an overwhelming majority of nine have been committed in the most recent six months.

This figure includes four alleged offences each of unlawful entry and theft and one traffic offence on Hawker Rd at the front of the club.

The other two crimes reported within that two-year period were property damage and a second traffic-related offence.

Harvey Norman Centre / IGA complex

The cluster of shops and businesses along Palmerin St and bordered by Victoria and Albert Sts has collectively reported 28 crimes within the past two years.

This strip includes the Harvey Norman Centre and its neighbouring businesses, the Warwick Hotel and Cheers drive-through, and Spano’s IGA Warwick.

The Harvey Norman building on Victoria Street.

Ten thefts have been reported at this location within the past two years, followed by four each of drug offences and assaults, three traffic-related and fraud offences, and one each of weapons and liquor-related offences.

These numbers drop to 14 in total within the past year and 11 in the past six months, with theft and assault remaining the two most common offences in both periods.

Warwick Hotel and its associated brands are locally-owned and operated, with Spano’s IGA run by multiple franchisee Frank Spano.

Grafton St shopping strip

The line of shops along Grafton St and opposite Rose City Shoppingworld has also had a notable number of crimes reported within the past two years.

The strip including Kmart and formerly Target Country, Warwick Furniture and Bedding, and other retailers has seen 22 offences reported in that time period.

Just over a third of these were stealing and theft, followed by three each of trespassing and drug offences along with a smaller number of assault, fraud, and unlawful entry offences.

Crime rates for this particular area have dropped according to police data, with only 11 offences reported within the past year and just three in the most recent six months.