REVEALED: Every Gold Coast break-in mapped

Victims share their stories as new data reveals the Gold Coast suburbs most targeted by thieves and when residents are most at risk. SEE OUR INTERACTIVE MAP

Gold Coast residents have been left fearing for their security in their own homes as a fresh spate of break-ins and property-related crimes sweeps the region.

New data from the Queensland Police Service, dated December 18, 2021 to December 17, 2022, reveals that 19,776 break-ins and thefts have been reported across the region in the past year alone.

This figure accounts for 40 per cent of all crime reported on the Gold Coast within that 12-month period.

It is a statistic that has become all too real for Robina resident Jeannie Crawford and her family, who claim a group of teenagers broke into their home and stole several cars.

Ms Crawford said she was still awake in the early hours of the morning on October 16 when

the burglars struck.

“I heard a loud noise followed by a door closing and thought it was either my son or his

girlfriend, who were home and asleep, so I went to check,” she said.

“As I got to the stairs, I heard my car start and realised it was being stolen.

“I got to the garage as (my car) and (son) Jase’s VW Polo were speeding off towards the complex gate.”

Security cam footage from Robina resident Jeannie Crawford's home the night two cars were stolen from her home. Picture: Jeannie Crawford / contributed

Ms Crawford said police were unable to track down either of her family’s cars that night, but her son’s vehicle had since allegedly been used in a fuel drive-off and another break-in on the Coast.

She said the suspected culprits, who she believed to be three young adults, allegedly had a history of similar offending and had since been connected to other break-and-enters in the area.

With no sign of her own vehicle almost two months later and her son’s car since written off at a $10,000 loss, Ms Crawford said the burglary had left her family “financially and emotionally broken”.

“The invasion of our right to live in safety and peace, (and) the fact that most of these brazen, perpetrators are either out on bail at the time or have served no jail time for prior related crimes, leaves me disheartened and furious at the completely broken justice system in Australia,” she said.

Security cam footage from Robina resident Jeannie Crawford's home the night two cars were stolen. Picture: Jeannie Crawford / contributed

“I haven’t slept since that night and have lost my freedom to earn a living as I travel between client sites with my trusty little Peugeot, (which was) my wheels, my office, and the symbol of my freedom to live.

“I had used my tax refund – for which I worked incredibly hard – to fix my old car’s engine issues a mere three weeks before it was stolen.”

Ms Crawford said stronger laws to punish and deter young offenders were urgently needed to better protect the community.

“What they stole that night was our trust in humanity, our goals, our freedom to work, shop, and live life for which we pay some of the highest tax in the world.

“Coupled with burglary, which all of these vehicle thefts occurring on a daily basis across the Gold Coast incorporate, these criminals need to be incarcerated for their life-ruining criminality.”

Coast residents and business owners Liza and Emmanuel Borg share this pain. They say their small used car dealership at Biggera Waters was also targeted by thieves in October.

The suburb fell just outside of the Gold Coast’s top 10 for break-ins and thefts, with 50 per cent of its overall crime rate made up of the two offences.

Mrs Borg said the alleged offenders struck in the middle of the night and made off with three vehicles, wiping out almost their entire stock in one fell swoop.

Business owner Liza Borg upset after having her Labrador car dealership business broken into Picture Glenn Hampson

She said nearby residents later reported hearing noise coming from the premises that night, but it wasn’t until reports of their damaged roller door came in that they knew to raise the alarm.

“We’re not a big dealership, we’re just a small business with two or three cars (at a time) in a small storage shed,” Mrs Borg said.

“In our case it’s a big loss, because our only advertisement we really have is the car display. “We don’t have a camera and my cars aren’t insured because we just sell a few – we just didn’t expect it to happen to us.”

The couple said they were desperate to recover their stolen property, even trying to track down the vehicles themselves to help expedite the police investigation.

“We’ve moved out of that shop and into another one (that) is more secured – there’s no camera yet, but we’re planning to put in a new camera, and the roller door is secured and there’s an alarm,” Mrs Borg said.

“It’s really, really distressing that it’s gone. We don’t know whether we will recover,” Mrs

Borg said.

The below table includes the number of unlawful entry and theft offences reported in each

suburb within the past year, according to QPS data.

These numbers will include offences reported by both residents and businesses in each area.

Suburbs are ranked by the rate break-ins and thefts are reported in relation to all other types of offences occurring to police statistics.

Stapylton tops the list with close to 80 per cent of its crime rate accounted for by break-ins and thefts.

Southern suburbs such as Tugun, Bilinga, and Burleigh Waters along with central hubs including Robina, Ashmore, and Molendinar rounded out the top 10 rankings. 
Only seven of the 65 listed suburbs had a combined break-ins and theft rate below 25 per cent.
It comes as new RACQ data reveals the 4217 postcode – encompassing Surfers Paradise, Main Beach, Benowa, and Bundall – had the highest number of theft claims on the Gold Coast.
Other suburbs ranking highly also included 4218, covering Broadbeach and Mermaid Beach, and southern areas such as Coolangatta.
Gold Coast residents have received renewed warnings to lock up and keep their belongings secure - especially when away from home - this silly season as opportunistic burglars seek out their next targets.
CCTV images have surfaced in the past several days showing would-be thieves scoping out homes right across the Coast, as reported thefts continue to swirl on social media.
A real estate agent reported having her bag snatched from her car earlier this month while holding a house inspection at Carrara.
Another Gold Coast businessman was last week forced to chase an intruder from his Mermaid Waters home while wearing only his underpants.
The below map reveals the location given by QPS for ever break-in reported within the Gold Coast local government area in the past month.
Use the interactive map to see which suburbs and streets are being most frequently targeted by thieves.