The Crisafulli government seized on a drop in crimes typically committed by youth offenders as evidence its tough-on-crime agenda was working, but the Labor opposition said community safety remained a concern and accused the LNP of cherry-picking data.
In the first six months of Premier David Crisafulli’s government, which was elected in 2024 on a promise to bring down victim of crime numbers, there was a decrease in homicides, fraud, robbery, unlawful entry and various property offences, according to a new report from the state’s statistician’s office.
But there was a documented increase in assaults, drug offences, traffic offences and breach of domestic violence orders increased.
Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said the report shows a minor reduction in crime overall, but important reductions in areas important to Queenslanders.
“We’ve got a 9.9 per cent reduction in break-ins, a 10.6 per cent reduction in robberies, and a 5.6 per cent reduction in stolen cars,” Frecklington said.
“Importantly, there has also been a 16.7 per cent reduction in the offences that have been committed by juveniles across Queensland.”
Opposition leader Steven Miles said the number of victims in the 2024/25 report increased by 1.9 per cent, all offences were up 1 per cent, and offences against the person up 2 per cent.
“That’s off the back of an 11.5 per cent reduction in crime in the previous reporting year,” he said.
“That is precisely what Queenslanders are telling me, that they don’t feel any safer.”
Miles said ‘adult crime adult time’ laws – a suite of tough-on-crime policies aimed at reducing juvenile offending – were not acting as the deterrent the government claimed they would.
Frecklington acknowledged the government was facing youth crime challenges, but blamed this on Labor’s decade of rule.
“There has been a generation of hardcore repeat juvenile offenders roaming around this state without consequences of action,” she said.
“This crime report that I’m releasing here today shows those very early positive signs, but of course there is always more work to be done.”
Frecklington said the government had employed more police and given those police and the courts stronger laws, in combination with early intervention and rehabilitation efforts, which she said were designed to break the cycle of repeat juvenile offenders.
Deputy Police Commissioner Cheryl Scanlon said the changes had been a great improvement.
“That needs to happen, taking a hard line and putting young people in custody, and holding young people in custody, particularly when they can’t be constrained any other way,” Scanlon said.
“We’re very grateful for the assistance we’ve been given, and there’s more to be done.”
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