Why Cairns car theft rates trended downward in February
Vision of hardcore teens driving dangerously and tearing up Cairns parkland in stolen cars has been posted to Instagram this week despite a downward trend in car thefts in February. SEE THE VIDEO
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THE death of a Cairns teen in an allegedly stolen car last month and the subsequent attention from the state’s top cops is understood to be a minor factor in a reduction in vehicle thefts this past month.
Bradley Smith, 14, was killed after an alleged stolen car slammed into a tree on Pease St, Manoora, on February 14.
Five other teen occupants were rushed to hospital and the 14-year-old driver was charged with manslaughter.
But despite a reduction in the number of vehicles stolen last month teen car thieves have ramped up the taunting of law enforcement through social media posts of burnouts and ripping up suburban parkland in Cairns.
In January an unprecedented number of stolen cars were logged by police between Gordonvale and the northern beaches.
In January on average, 3.9 cars were stolen every day in Cairns in the same policing area.
The total car theft figure in January was 121.
Latest police numbers reveal a sharp decline up until February 21 with only 42 vehicles reported stolen, bringing the total number of car thefts this year to 163.
In the past month 61 unlawful use of a motor vehicle offences were recorded in the Cairns local government area.
Cairns businesswoman Perri Conti turned anti-crime campaigner, after having two cars stolen earlier this year, agreed there has been a slow down in thefts.
“It just seems to be a bit quieter lately I have noticed,” she said.
Police intelligence has found the top recidivist offenders represented 10 per cent of a criminal cohort but were responsible for 50 per cent of offences.
Ms Perri suspected key car theft offenders had been locked up this month after a January crime wave.
“I think maybe a lot of the 10 percenters are in juvi and can’t compete with what’s going on in Townsville,” she said.
“And the police are staying on them and the helicopters are up.”
Last week an 18-year-old man was tracked in an allegedly stolen car by the QGAir Rescue Helicopter.
He allegedly stole a handbag containing car keys before making off with a Mazda CX-8 from a Trinity Park address.
Officers arrested a man after he was found in a cupboard at a Whitfield address.
Despite a drop in vehicle rip-offs in February a number of hardcore offenders have remained active in Cairns.
Posted to Instagram this week, videos of stolen cars being driven dangerously have been uploaded despite the death of Bradley Smith.
In one video a car can be seen doing doughnuts and chewing up lawn in Cominos Place, Manunda, metres from a children’s play area.
Ms Conti said she didn’t believe the death of Bradley Smith had acted as a deterrent to car thieves.
“With Bradley dying they came out in revenge (and) everyone made him out to be a martyr,” she said.
“I am so frightened to open my Facebook page to see another kid killed in a stolen car.”
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Originally published as Why Cairns car theft rates trended downward in February
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