Cairns crime: Shocking new police data shows huge spike in theft, assault

Crime rates in the Far North have spiked higher than any other district in the state, reaching a two-decade high for the region. Search the interactive table to see how your suburb fared.

The Far North has experienced the worst growth in crime compared to any other area of Queensland.

Recent police statistics have shown the offence rate – the number of offences per 100,000 residents – in the Far North QPS district escalated 16.6 per cent in 2022 to a rate higher than QPS districts with larger population centres such as Townsville, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast.

At 18,239 offences per 100,000 people it’s also the highest Far North offence rate in more than 20 years – confirming many residents’ fears the youth crime crisis is the worst it’s ever been.

Victims of crime in Cairns are now looking to the 2024 state election with the issue firmly fixed in their minds, as some businesses consider closing their doors.

Tarun Kumar has owned the Friendly Grocer store on Sheridan St in Cairns North for six months.

In that time, he said he’s suffered more than $20,000 in losses due to stock theft and property damage.

Tarun Kumar, owner of Cairns North's Friendly Grocer, has suffered $20,000 in losses due to theft and break-ins in six months. Picture: Isaac McCarthy

In one heist, thieves stole more than $5000 worth of cigarettes.

The most recent break-in attempt on Thursday, February 2, left him with an $8500 repair bill.

“It’s becoming more frequent,” he said.

“People are stealing every couple of days … we’re expecting to lose $10,000 of stock every year to theft.

“This is my first business … and this has got me thinking we might need to move on to something else.”

In one heist, Tarun Kumar lost $5000 of cigarette stock from his Friendly Grocer store in Cairns North. Picture Isaac McCarthy

A bagful of offences have escalated to new heights in the Far North.

Rates of assault (34.9 per cent), robbery (23 per cent), unlawful entry (60.7 per cent), arson (50.2 per cent), unlawful use of a motor vehicle (55.4 per cent) and breach of a domestic violence order (29.3 per cent) all climbed to their highest in more than 20 years.

The Far North also had the worst rates of sexual offences, property damage, unlawful entry and motor vehicle theft when compared to more populous regions such as Townsville, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

Acting chief superintendent Rhys Newton, district officer for the Far North QPS district, confirmed there had been an increase of about 17 per cent across all crime categories in the Far North from 2021 to 2022.

“That mainly comes from increase in assaults … assaults have jumped 40 per cent to almost 7000 reported in 2022,” Supt Newton said.

“Our property offending has also increased. Last year, there was 6500 unlawful entries and almost 2900 unlawful uses of motor vehicles across the district.”

Supt Newton said there’s “no doubt” a large swath of crime was being committed by a “small minority” of recidivist juvenile offenders.

“It’s that 10 per cent who, for a whole lot of reasons, are recidivist property offenders. They create up to 50 per cent of our crime,” he said.

“These kids can come from some of the worst home environments. That is a main contributor. There is a lack of engagement with these kids in their education and their health … consequently, they have a very risky lifestyle, and without any of the normal governors that 99 per cent of kids get – love and care from their family, engagement with their education – without that, there really is very little hope for these kids.

“These are reasons, but not excuses. We do an awful lot of work responding to and investigating these kids. I guarantee every opportunity is taken to bring them to justice.”

Supt Newton said there was some good news among the gloom.

“The latest trends from October last year, there has been a downward trend in … property offences. Unlawful entries in October reached a height of 634, now we’re back down in January … to 420,” he said.

“Unlawful use of motor vehicles … is falling back down as well. In October we had nearly 200 … in January we had 95.”

To add to the painful record, offence numbers dramatically increased in major Far North population centres from 2021 to 2022, including the vast majority of suburbs in Cairns.

Of 316 Far North suburbs surveyed, offence numbers increased in 157 of them, and remained unchanged in 31.

Cairns City and surrounds

Cairns City almost matched its postcode with its number of offences, as higher rates of assault and theft pushed the total up 19 per cent to 4781 in a 12-month period, culminating in an alleged attempted murder by stabbing on the Esplanade.

The town also outdid other central business district suburbs such as Townsville City and Maroochydore.

Manunda, however, suffered a higher percentage jump – 31 per cent to 1731 offences, due to higher rates of unlawful entry, assault and theft in 2022.

Cairns North passed 2000 offences with a 14 per cent increase and Parramatta Park suffered a 25 per cent jump to more than 1000 offences, largely driven by spikes in unlawful entries.

The southern corridor

Offence rates in Cairns’ southern corridor were perhaps the most concerning as police were allegedly attacked and shoppers were allegedly bashed at supermarket check-outs.

As the suburbs have grown, offence numbers climbed in Earlville (19 per cent), Bayview Heights (21 per cent), Woree (29 per cent), Mount Sheridan (19 per cent), White Rock (48 per cent), Bentley Park (66 per cent), Edmonton (19 per cent), Mount Peter (142 per cent) and Gordonvale (40 per cent).

Theft and unlawful entry were the two biggest drivers.

Northwestern suburbs

Redlynch experienced a new wave of break-ins and stolen vehicles in 2022, while Caravonica residents were rocked by an alleged homicide on Melinga Cl.

Both suburbs experienced rises in offence numbers of 39 per cent and 21 per cent respectively.

Kamerunga (59 per cent), Brinsmead (30 per cent) and Freshwater (68 per cent) were also struck by higher offences due to escalated rates of unlawful entry and vehicle theft.

The Tablelands

Mareeba, with a tally of 2268, remained the suburb with the second highest amount of offences in the Far North, but Atherton suffered a far higher percentage increase – 32 per cent to 1314, driven by rises in assaults, thefts and break-ins.

Higher rates of drug and traffic offences pushed up numbers in Malanda and Chillagoe.

Kuranda’s offence numbers also rose 14 per cent due, in part, to a spike in assaults.

The idyllic town of Yungaburra achieved a downturn in offence numbers due to a drop in theft, unlawful entry and traffic offences.

The northern beaches

Cairns’ northern areas were relieved by a drop in offence numbers from 2021 to 2022.

Ellis Beach (minus 53 per cent), Palm Cove (minus 8 per cent), Kewarra Beach (minus 24 per cent), Trinity Park (minus 27 per cent) and Smithfield (minus 3 per cent) all achieved downturns, while Holloways Beach, Yorkeys Knob and Machans Beach were pricked with offence number rises of 10 per cent or less.

A significant drop in drug offences and unlawful entry explained the lower numbers at Trinity Park, but most of it seemed to move one suburb over to Trinity Beach, which experienced raises in both, as well as theft, pushing its numbers up 20 per cent.

Cassowary Coast

The Cassowary Coast was a mixed bag, as many suburbs successfully reduced their offence rates while others, such as Tully (38 per cent) and Mission Beach (6 per cent), experienced increases.

Offences appeared to centralise in Innisfail.

Numbers in the centre of town jumped by 16 per cent, due to rises in many offence types, while numbers in the outer suburbs – South Innisfail, East Innisfail and Innisfail Estate – reduced by up to 34 per cent.

Cape York and the Torres Strait

Cape York residents witnessed some disturbing crime trends as Aurukun experienced, for the second year in a row, more offences than it had residents.

Kowanyama’s offence rate also pushed that unwanted milestone, while rates in Pormpuraaw, Lockhart River, Wujal Wujal and Horn Island also experienced rising offence numbers that amounted to more than a fifth of the population.

While still high, offence rates in Cooktown, Hope Vale, Laura, Coen and Bamaga dropped.

Douglas Shire

The Douglas Shire was likely the best performing area of the Far Northern QPS district. From 2021/22 to 2022/23, offence numbers dropped in Julatten (minus 30 per cent), Mossman Gorge (minus 8 per cent), Cape Tribulation (minus 95 per cent) and Mowbray (minus 31 per cent), and only rose slightly in Port Douglas (1 per cent), Craiglie (4 per cent) and Mossman (3 per cent).

The drops appeared to be achieved primarily through large crack downs on drug-related crime, as drug-related offences dropped across the shire in 2022.

Note: Queensland Police crime statistics representing crime rates were correct as of February 8. Statistics representing offence numbers were correct as of February 2.

Originally published as Cairns crime: Shocking new police data shows huge spike in theft, assault