LNP study claims Qld is the crime capital

The Opposition has released a report which it says shows Queensland is the undisputed crime capital.

Victims of assault, robbery and sexual assault have surged nearly 200 per cent over the past decade, new crime analysis by the Opposition has found.

Analysis of the three common crimes committed against a person showed an increase of 50,000 victims since 2015-16, including an 8 per cent rise in total victims since last year, with victim numbers jumping from 77,200 to 83,200.

This is compared to just 28,300 victims recorded 10 years ago.

Opposition Police spokesman Dan Purdie attributed the rise to watered down laws.

“Queensland is the crime capital of the country because of Labor’s watered-down laws,” he said. “There are more victims of crime in Queensland than New South Wales and Victoria.

“The LNP is committed to ensure there are fewer victims of crime in Queensland. We have a plan to do it.”

Ipswich saw the highest increase over the decade at 318 per cent, followed by Townsville, 270 per cent and Brisbane, 150 per cent.

Victims of assault shot up 198 per cent over the 10-year period, including a 7 per cent increase over the past year.

Assault climbed highest in Ipswich, which saw a 379 per cent rise since 2015 and an 8 per cent annual jump since 2023-24, while Mackay recorded a staggering 17 per cent annual increase.

There has also been a 94 per cent rise in sexual assault victims across the state.

Townsville had the highest long-term increase of 118 per cent since 2015-16, with a 38 per cent annual increase.

Member for Ninderry Dan Purdie during the estimate hearings at the Queensland parliament. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Robbery victims were also highest in Townsville over the past decade, with the city recording s dramatic 436 per cent increase and a 31 per cent annual increase.

This was closely followed by Brisbane’s 200 per cent increase.

The state experienced an overall 160 per cent increase in robbery victims since 2015-16, with 2,532 additional victims recorded in 2023-24.

The Opposition has made crime the centerpiece of its election platform, vowing to remove detention as a last resort and introduce adult sentencing for juveniles who commit serious crimes.

Youth offences charged with murder, manslaughter, wounding, home and business break ins, robbery, car theft and dangerous operation of a vehicle would be tried as adult.

Opposition leader David Crisafulli said the punishments would put “victims’ rights before the rights of offenders”.

LNP spokeswoman for Youth Justice Laura Gerber said Queensland communities were “sick of living in fear” and delivered a stern message to future offenders. “If you choose to do the crime, you will do the time,” she said.

The LNP’s crime reduction strategy would include increased support for victims, intervention programs, an overhaul of the state’s residential care and child safety systems, and a $175m investment towards 12-month rehabilitation programs for young offenders after they are released from detention.

In response to LNP findings of a 200 per cent surge in crime, Premier Steven Miles on Sunday said the LNP had compared data that did not include domestic violence victims with data that did include domestic violence victims.

“There are lies, there are damn lies, and there are LNP statistics and every time the LNP uses a statistic, I would urge you to look at the detail behind that statistic,” he said.

“We, the government, believe domestic violence victims matter. We have done a lot of work to increase reporting of domestic violence, to increase the range of offenses that domestic violence perpetrators can be charged with, and that is reported in the most current data.”

“If you go back to what Campbell Newman said when they excluded domestic violence victims from that data, he said they wanted to include the victims that matter,” he said.

Asked if an increase in youth crime offences had contributed to the statistics, Mr Miles said youth crime this year was down.

“So overall offences are down 2 per cent, youth crime, youth offences are down 10 per cent, youth serious repeat offenders are down 14. So again, just because the LNP give you a number, it does not make you true.”

Originally published as LNP study claims Qld is the crime capital