Qld had almost 200,000 victims of crime in 2022, highest in nation
You are more likely to be robbed, have your home broken into, or your car stolen in Queensland than anywhere else in the country, shock new data has revealed.
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You are more likely to be robbed, have your home broken into, or your car stolen in Queensland than anywhere else in the country, shock new data has revealed.
The alarming new numbers from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show Queensland had almost 200,000 victims of crime in 2022 – more than any other state – and a 15 per cent climb in a single year.
This included the highest number of victims of robbery (2,759 victims), unlawful entry (47,277), and other thefts (126,394).
More than 18,000 people were victims of motor vehicle theft in 2022 in Queensland – 25 per cent higher than in 2021, and double the amount of victims in NSW.
The figures come as government ministers prepare to face two weeks of grilling at the annual budget estimates kicking off on Tuesday, with Queensland’s crime crisis along with health and cost-of-living predicted to dominate.
North Queensland is seen as ground zero for the youth crime crisis in the state and was hammered again over the weekend, with five cars stolen in the space of two hours in Townsville.
Young masked criminals took to social media to taunt their victims, as they stood in front of stolen cars.
“Apparently we’re dead,” a young girl is heard saying during the Instagram livestream.
“Apparently we started a war. They’re trying to say I was jumping out smashing their house up. I wasn’t. They’re stupid.”
Another member of her group in a stolen MG3 yelled, “What they gonna do?”
As she hops back into the MG3, the girl can be heard saying: “I’m sure there’s vigilantes on the run, motherf-----s.”
Police Minister Mark Ryan told The Courier-Mail “even one instance of crime is unacceptable, because for every crime there is a victim and the experience is traumatising”.
“The government will always put victims first and act to hold perpetrators to account,” he said.
“It is for these reasons that the government continues to strengthen laws and criminal sanctions, invest in intervention and rehabilitation programs, and extend supports for those who have been impacted by crime.
“As the Police Commissioner has stated publicly a number of times, the Queensland Police Service is dealing with a small cohort of serious repeat offenders who commit a disproportionate amount of crime.
“The Commissioner has also pointed out similar trends are being experienced nationally and across the world.”
But Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said the state’s crime crisis was “threatening Queensland’s way of life” – and claimed most Queenslanders believed the government’s laws were not working.
“More than ever, Queensland communities are being torn apart by crime and the government is still refusing to admit we’re in the grip of a crisis of their own making,” he said.
“Weaker laws and fewer police have created a generation of untouchables who know their rights are greater than the rights of their victims.”
Mr Crisafulli said under an LNP government, he would implement a plan to “raise up the rights of victims, putting them at the centre of a plan to fight youth crime”.
“Victims would have the support of a new Victims’ Commissioner to help build a criminal justice system that Queenslanders deserve and finally be represented in sentencing,” he said.
“The LNP would provide victims with replacement driver's licences and numberplates without financial penalty, to help reduce the cost of crime to Queenslanders.”
But Mr Ryan said the government had installed a number of measures to target the spiralling numbers and focus on the repeat serious offenders, including extreme high-visibility police patrols and the expansion of police wanding operations across the state to disrupt and prevent knife crime.
“The government is also making record investments in intervention and diversion programs to break the cycle of crime,” he said.
“In addition, people will soon be able to register for the fitment of secondary engine immobilisers as part of a detailed trial to prevent car theft in Cairns, Mount Isa and Townsville.
“These measures and more are all aimed at supporting community safety.”
LNP police spokesman Dale Last accused the government of “watering down the laws” when they were elected in 2015.
“Families are worried about where to hide their car keys and how they can keep their children safe because crime is spiralling out of control,” he said.
“Queenslanders deserve real solutions and until we create consequences for actions, remove detention as a last resort and deliver gold-standard early intervention, we won’t break the cycle of crime.”
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