Hot spots mapped as vehicle thefts smash 10-year high

Affluent suburbs in Queensland are being targeted by young criminals stealing luxury vehicles in sneak offences with two carjackings occurring in the state’s southeast in just the past 24 hours. A woman was assaulted and dragged from her car while in a separate incident, a man was threatened with an axe. The number of stolen vehicles have more than doubled in some regions in the past year and are up by 18 per cent overall.

It comes after three youths, aged 13 to 15, were released on bail after being charged over a carjacking at Ashmore on the Gold Coast on Sunday in which a woman was dragged from her vehicle.

In other recent incidents, a resident of Bulimba in Brisbane’s inner east was carjacked in his own driveway in broad daylight, an ice addict parolee was charged after an allegedly stolen $120,000 Audi crashed into an intercepting police car in Brisbane’s CBD, and six teens were charged over a multi-vehicle pileup involving an allegedly stolen vehicle on the Pacific Motorway on the Gold Coast.

According to Queensland police division data, Cairns has recorded the highest number of car thefts in Queensland with 859 in the past 12 months, or two every day, followed by Toowoomba (640) and Hendra (629).

Logan Central, Kirwan (Townsville) and Southport and Broadbeach (Gold Coast) police divisions all recorded more than 400 car thefts in the past year.

Hot spots in those areas included many affluent suburbs such as Ascot, Hamilton and Albion in Brisbane, and parts of the Gold Coast.

Southport police Inspector Scott Knowles said young car thieves were “definitely” targeting luxury cars and homes where the vehicles were parked, for social media bragging rights.

“One will brag on social media ‘look, we stole a Porsche’ and then another will trump that with ‘we stole a Maserati’ or something like that,” he said.

“They are definitely targeting the high-value cars and nice homes, because the hi-tech security on modern vehicles makes it almost impossible to steal them unless you steal the keys first.”

The number of car thefts across Queensland hit a 10-year high just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, with some regions recording the highest number of car thefts on record at the beginning of 2020.

But in December last year and the beginning of this year, car thefts surpassed the pre-Covid-19 record in most regions across the state, but have slowly decreased since then.

The rate of car thefts also soared in smaller areas like Aurukun, Mount Isa and Doomadgee divisions, which all recorded more than 99 stolen cars per 100,000 people.

The Townsville division remained the worst major area for rate of car thefts, with 96 stolen per 100,000 people.

Respected Bond University criminologist Terry Goldsworthy said car thieves were seizing brazen opportunities to steal cars.

“It would make logical sense (for them to target affluent suburbs), you’re going to find good vehicles, good property, accumulated wealth is going to make you a more viable target,” he said.

Dr Goldsworthy said police were struggling to keep up with the increase in crime as resources were slim.

“I speak to a number of police weekly and they are telling me they can’t fill the seats, it’s diabolic in terms of staffing and resources,” he said.

“If you’ve got an increase in calls and your resources are decreasing, then it’s going to become an issue.”

On Tuesday morning, a luxury car was also stolen from a house in Carrara on the Gold Coast about 1am and found burnt-out two hours later.

The Range Rover was dumped at Yatala, but no one has been arrested yet.

It comes after three carjackings in a number of days across the state, including at Ashmore, Townsville and Brisbane’s Bulimba.

Police have charged three teenagers over the Ashmore incident, in which 50-year-old Yoko Abe was assaulted and dragged from her car in the early hours of the morning.

Eight teenagers have been arrested, and three have so far been charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle, and other offences, to appear in court at a later date.

Dr Goldsworthy said more cars were being stolen, and thieves were taking any opportunity they saw where they could potentially steal one.

“We’ve certainly had a number of instances with violence being used in the completion of these instances.

“Perceptions of crime are just as debilitating as the actual crime.”

Insp Knowles said people needed to ensure they kept their car keys hidden and secured.

“Unfortunately, too many people are leaving their keys in the centre console of their vehicle while it’s parked in the driveway or garage, or somewhere that’s easily visible or accessible,” he said.