Townsville car thefts up again after March spike
Youth crime anger is boiling over in Townsville, with car thefts still on the rise and nearly 70 per cent of readers saying Queensland’s new justice laws aren’t tough enough. SEE THE LATEST CRIME STATS HERE.
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Youth crime anger is boiling over in Townsville, with car thefts still on the rise and nearly 70 per cent of readers saying Queensland’s new justice laws aren’t tough enough.
It’s been just over four months since the “Adult Crime, Adult Time” reforms passed on December 13 — the centrepiece of the LNP’s Making Queensland Safer agenda — but change is taking too long for many in the crime-weary city of Townsville.
A Townsville Bulletin online poll recently asked readers: “Do you think the Making Queensland Safer laws are working to deter crime?”
Out of the 1,630 responses to date, a clear 69 per cent said “No, tougher action is needed.”
Just 20 per cent backed the laws, saying they simply needed more time, while 11 per cent felt more punitive measures didn’t work.
At the same time, police data paints a mixed picture of local crime trends — car thefts are rising, even as robberies drop.
From January to March 2025, there were 408 unlawful use of motor vehicle offences, up 10 per cent from 371 over the same period last year.
Robberies, on the other hand, have tumbled down 26 per cent — from 54 to just 40 cases.
Unlawful entry offences, which include home break-ins, have held steady: 930 this year, compared to 940 last year.
The latest data shows the month of March brought a fresh surge in vehicle-related crime. Car thefts rose to 179 cases — the highest monthly figure of the year so far.
Break-ins also spiked to 383, up sharply from 258 in February and 289 in January.
While robberies remained relatively low and stable, nudging up slightly from 11 to 12 in March.
The data reveal some wins on the streets, but the ongoing rise in car theft crime has locals demanding more.
Among them is Herbert MP Phillip Thompson, who recently labelled Townsville’s current crime levels as “unacceptable,” arguing that it was taking too long for the community to see real change from the Crisafulli Government’s new reforms.
But Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber is urging patience, saying it would take time to reverse the tide of youth crime in the state.
“It will take time to unravel Labor’s Youth Crime Crisis after the former government’s soft-on-crime approach unleashed a generation of hardcore repeat youth offenders,” she said.
“The Crisafulli Government is delivering the fresh start Queenslanders voted for — tough new youth crime laws to restore consequences for actions, effective early intervention and rehabilitation programs and more police to keep communities safe.
“Our Making Queensland Safer Laws have only been in effect for a short time, but already we are seeing some early, positive signs that we are heading in the right direction.”
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Originally published as Townsville car thefts up again after March spike
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