SEQ’s most dangerous suburbs for 2022, crime hotspots revealed
From murders to assaults and robberies - new data has revealed the most dangerous suburbs in southeast Queensland for 2022 amid a time of rising crime and social upheaval. SEE THE LIST
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New police data has revealed which southeast Queensland suburbs are the most dangerous to live in as residents navigate a post-Covid environment rife with internet crime, car thefts and home invasions.
More than half-a-million offences were allegedly committed across the state in 2022 with many in the southeast region.
Alleged crimes such as murder, assault, robbery, unlawful entry, arson, unlawful use of a motorvehicle, prostitution, gaming and betting, and domestic violence prevention order breaches have increased in prevalence this year.
While other alleged offences involving homicide, sex, fraud, drugs, liquor, trespassing and weapons occurred less in 2022 than last year.
There were allegedly seven murders and 21 other homicides in Brisbane this year. Woolloongabba saw the highest number of alleged homicides with four and Doolandella saw the second highest with two.
Many will remember one particularly gruesome alleged stabbing incident at Fortitude Valley in July, which sadly resulted in the death of 24-year-old Lauie Michael Tagaloa, described by a friend as a “good bloke”.
A 20-year-old Birkdale man was later charged with his murder.
Other southeast cities saw fewer murders and other homicides combined than Brisbane did alone, with Ipswich allegedly experiencing just two, Logan six, Redland City one, and Moreton Bay 11.
Prostitution was allegedly most prevalent in Brisbane suburbs Chapel Hill and Bowen Hills and Ipswich suburb New Chum but no such offences were alleged to have occurred whatsoever in Logan or Redland City.
Meanwhile, assault was rife across southeast Queensland — particularly in Fortitude Valley, where 550 offences were reported and in Brisbane City, which had 499 alleged offences.
Just two months ago, a 29-year-old Laidley Heights man was arrested over an alleged incident between three men outside a venue on Eagle Ln in the CBD, which left a 23-year-old with serious head injuries.
Brisbane City detectives charged the older man with grievous bodily harm after his alleged victim hit his head on a concrete kerb.
Most alleged incidents of assault at Ipswich took place in Redbank Plains and Goodna, while those at Logan occurred most frequently in Woodridge, Kingston and Logan Central.
Redland City’s top suburb for assaults was Capalaba while Moreton Bay’s was Caboolture followed by Morayfield and Deception Bay.
A Quest News analysis of the new police data revealed the most crime-affected suburb across the whole of southeast Queensland was Brisbane City with 9211 alleged offences, followed by Fortitude Valley with 6089, Caboolture with 4062, Morayfield with 287 and South Brisbane with 2563.
A criminologist at the University of Queensland Dr Renee Zahnow said CBD areas, such as Brisbane City and Fortitude Valley, are attractive to people who want to participate in crime for several reasons.
“Things like the mall, Suncorp Stadium on game day, transport stations — they create a lot of volume of people moving through them,” she said.
“They also generate opportunities for crime to occur, because if I wanted to steal something off someone that’s where I’d be able to do it.”
She said thieves often target large shopping centres, such as those at Indooroopilly and Chermside, as they have a decent chance of going unnoticed and getting away with heists among such a volume of people.
Dr Zahnow said the landscape of crime has changed dramatically in recent years.
“Crime significantly shifted during Covid, mainly because ... bars and pubs, so the entertainment precincts, shops — people stopped going,” she said.
“So when we all stayed home, crime went down because people weren’t out and about in those spaces where they might get into a fight on a Friday or Saturday night or where they might be able to steal stuff from a shop.”
The number of break and enter offences committed also reduced across the state, as there were fewer opportunities for criminals to attack given homes were occupied more than they were previously.
Meanwhile, online and cybersecurity crime spiked.
“Now that the most intense period of Covid is over ... (and) we’re having rising inflation and really extreme increases in costs of living, what we’re seeing now is increases in theft, increases again in break and enter, increases in things like youth delinquency and car theft,” Dr Zahnow said.
She said youth crime surged amid Covid-19 times as students were home from school and it has continued post-pandemic as many have chosen to drop out.
Other crimes, such as domestic violence, also increased in frequency during the pandemic.
Dr Zahnow said southeast Queensland residents could expect to see another surge in crime as “strain and stress” related to finances, alcohol and Christmas burrows its way into lives over the next few months.
“Christmas is a time of significant problem,” she said.
“People go on vacation ... their houses are open, unattended. So we have a spike in break and enters.
“The other thing though that does happen is assaults, particularly domestic issues. This is because of strain.”
TOP 5 BREAKDOWN
BRISBANE
5. Inala — 2046 alleged offences
4. Chermside — 2514 alleged offences
3. South Brisbane — 2563 alleged offences
2. Fortitude Valley — 6089 alleged offences
1. Brisbane City — 9211 alleged offences
IPSWICH
5. Booval — 1060 alleged offences
4. North Ipswich — 1248 alleged offences
3. Ipswich — 1509 alleged offences
2. Goodna — 1739 alleged offences
1. Redbank Plains — 2162 alleged offences
LOGAN
5. Kingston — 1549 alleged offences
4. Slacks Creek — 1732 alleged offences
3. Beenleigh — 1961 alleged offences
2. Logan Central — 1999 alleged offences
1. Woodridge — 2033 alleged offences
REDLAND CITY
5. Redland Bay — 621 alleged offences
4. Alexandra Hills — 771 alleged offences
3. Victoria Point — 777 alleged offences
2. Cleveland — 1309 alleged offences
1. Capalaba — 1341 alleged offences
MORETON BAY
5. Kallangur — 1419 alleged offences
4. North Lakes — 1558 alleged offences
3. Deception Bay — 2131 alleged offences
2. Morayfield — 2875 alleged offences
1. Caboolture — 4062 alleged offences
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