According to Queensland Police Service (QPS), Brisbane crime rate for the year ending June 2022 was 7850 incidents per 100,000 population. This represents a 12% increase from the previous year.

Brisbane Crime Index

59

(100 is safest)

Safer than 59% of most Australia cities

Brisbane Crime Map

Greater Brisbane crime map

Is Brisbane Safe?

Brisbane has moderate safety metrics. Crime rates in Brisbane are near the average for all cities and towns of all sizes in Australia. Brisbane is safer than 59% of all Australian communities and than 37% of Queensland cities and towns. However, theft is a common offence in Brisbane.

Brisbane Crime Statistics at a Glance

Has Crime in Brisbane increased or decreased in the past 5 years? The chart below shows the 60-month historical trend of the number of offences that occurred in Brisbane.

60-month trend of criminal incidents across Brisbane
  • The number of criminal incidents recorded in the year 2022 was 198300, up 12% from 177062 incidents recorded in the same period last year.
  • Brisbane is in the 37th percentile for safety, meaning 63% of Queensland urban areas are safer than Brisbane and 37% of urban areas are more dangerous than Brisbane.
  • Street safety to walk at night: Moderate safety.
  • Common crime: theft.
  • Safest suburb in Brisbane: Delaneys Creek.
  • Top areas to avoid in Brisbane (bad areas): Brisbane city.
  • The number of criminal incidents of assault increased by 34% (4287 Incidents) from 2021 to 2022.
  • In 2022, there was no change in the number of murder offences compared to the previous year.
  • The number of unlawful entry offences recorded in 2022 increased by 19% (3086 Incidents) compared to the previous year.
  • The number of theft offences (excl. Unlawful Entry) recorded in 2022 increased by 13% (8424 Incidents) compared to the previous year.
  • The number of robbery offences recorded in 2022 increased by 8% ( 89 Incidents) compared to the previous year.
  • The number of unlawful use of motor vehicle offences (car theft) recorded in 2022 increased by 17% (1150 Incidents) compared to the previous year.
  • The number of vandalism offences (other property damage) recorded in 2022 increased by 12% (1693 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

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Crime in Brisbane: An In-Depth Analysis

According to Safer Australia’s analysis of the latest crime statistics from the Queensland Police Service (QPS), Brisbane is ranked safer than 59% of the cities and towns across Australia, regardless of population size. That means that Brisbane crime rate is near the average for all cities and towns of all sizes in Australia.

In Queensland, only about 63% of communities have a lower crime rate than Brisbane. As a result, Brisbane has moderate scores in public safety metrics.

If you are a resident of Brisbane, your chance of becoming a victim of crime is 1 in 17 (based on the total crime rate of crimes against the person and property combined) while the Queensland average is 1 in 16.

Let’s take a closer look at Brisbane’s crime statistics and see how it fares in terms of crimes against person and property crimes. This information is crucial because it can shed light on whether violent or property crimes or both, are the primary factors driving Brisbane’s overall crime rate. So, are you curious to learn more about Brisbane’s crime data and what they reveal about the community’s safety and security? Let’s dive in!

Safer Australia’s analysis reveals that against the person crime rate in Brisbane is 843 per one hundred thousand inhabitants while the Queensland average rate is 1097. So, one’s chances to become a victim of crimes against the person in Brisbane is 1 in 118. The crimes against the person included in this analysis are homicide, assault, robbery, and other offences against the person.

From our analysis, we discovered that your odds of becoming a victim of a property crime if you live in Brisbane is 1 in 20. This is equal to a rate of 4736 per one hundred thousand residents compared to a rate of 4773 per 100,000 residents for Queensland state. It’s worth mentioning that the property crimes tracked here include arson, fraud, handling stolen goods, unlawful entry, unlawful use of motor vehicles, other theft, and other property damage.

Brisbane Crime Rate by Offences Division

DivisionNumber of CrimesCrime Rate (Per 100,000 Residents)
Crimes against the person21284483
Property and deception offences1196464736
Other offences573702271
Total1983007850

Brisbane Crimes Against the Person (Violent Crimes)

These are violent crimes against people whether these are family violence or non-family violence. Basically, if someone does something to hurt or scare another person, it’s considered a crime against the person. This includes:

  • Other Homicide:  Other homicides are crimes that include attempted murder, murder conspiracy, and manslaughter. Attempted murder is when someone tries to kill another person but is unsuccessful. Murder conspiracy is when two or more people plan to kill someone. Manslaughter is when someone unintentionally causes the death of another person.
  • Assault and related offences: There are different types of assault, like serious assault, which is when someone causes really serious injuries as a result of a physical attack, and assault on police, emergency services or other authorised officers, which is when someone attacks a cop or a paramedic or someone doing their job. There’s also common assault, which is like when someone threatens to punch you or makes you feel scared for your safety.
  • Robbery: There are two types of robbery or mugging: aggravated and non-aggravated. Aggravated robbery is when someone uses a weapon like a knife or a firearm (armed robbery) or causes serious harm to the victim during the robbery, like hitting them with a bat or a gun. Non-aggravated robbery is when someone doesn’t use a weapon or cause serious harm during the robbery but still uses force or the threat of force to take something from the victim.
  • Other offences against the person: These include going armed to cause fear, threatening violence, deprivation of liberty, stalking, and torture. Going Armed to Cause Fear is when someone carries a weapon with the intention of making others scared. Threatening Violence is when someone uses words or actions to scare or intimidate someone else. Deprivation of Liberty is when someone is held against their will, and Stalking is when someone repeatedly follows or harasses another person. Finally, Torture is when someone intentionally hurts someone else very badly, usually to make them suffer or to get information.

My Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Crime Against the Person

1 in 118

In Brisbane

1 in 90

In Queensland

Crimes Against the Person Comparison (Per 100,000 Residents)

Violent crimes against the person in Brisbane vs Queensland

Crimes Against the Person: Brisbane vs Queensland

Brisbane population: 2526210

Queensland population: 5156138

CrimesTotal Criminal IncidentsQLD Total Criminal IncidentsCrime Rate (Per 100,000 Residents)QLD Crime Rate (per 100,000 residents)
Robbery126923545046
Other offences against the person29517156117139
Homicide (Murder)18450.70.87
Other Homicide32661.31.3
Assault1701446940673910

It’s important to note that the crime rates for sexual offences are not included in the previously mentioned data for Brisbane. Here are Brisbane region data for these offences that can be used as a benchmark for comparison.

CrimesTotal Criminal IncidentsQLD Total Criminal IncidentsCrime Rate (Per 100,000 Residents)QLD Crime Rate (per 100,000 residents)
Rape and Attempted Rape58628243955
Other Sexual Offences81347715493
Sexual Offences (Total)1399759594147

Brisbane Offences Against Property

These are crimes related to stealing or damaging property or deceiving someone for personal gain. Property crimes include:

  • Theft: It can be committed in various forms such as shoplifting, stealing from a person’s home, or taking a vehicle without permission. Other examples include stealing a bicycle, snatching a purse, or taking items from an unattended bag.
  • Unlawful entry (burglary): Aggravated and non-aggravated burglaries are examples of burglary. Aggravated burglary involves the use of weapons, threats, or violence during the break-in, while non-aggravated burglary does not involve such factors.
  • Unlawful Use of Motor Vehicle: Unlawful Use of Motor Vehicle is when someone uses/steals a car, a bicycle, or other vehicle without the owner’s permission or without legal authority. 
  • Arson: Arson is a criminal act of intentionally setting fire to a property, building, or forest (bushfire) without lawful or justifiable reason. 
  • Handling Stolen Goods: Handling Stolen Goods is a criminal offence that involves dealing with property that has been stolen. For instance, if someone buys a bike from a person they know stole it, they are committing the crime of Handling Stolen Goods. Similarly, if someone sells a stolen phone to someone else, they are also committing the crime. Even if someone receives a stolen item as a gift or in good faith, they can still be charged with the offence if they knew or ought to have known that the property was stolen.
  • Fraud: Fraud is a type of criminal activity that involves deceiving or misleading someone for personal gain. Examples of fraud include things like pretending to be someone else to access their bank account, selling fake products or services, or making false insurance claims.
  • Property damage: This refers to intentional or accidental harm caused to someone else’s property, such as vandalism, or graffiti.

My Chances of Becoming a Victim of Offences Against Property

1 in 20

In Brisbane

1 in 20

In Queensland

Offences Against Property Comparison (Per 100,000 Residents)

Rate of property offences in Brisbane

Against Property offences: Brisbane vs Queensland, Australia

Brisbane population: 2526210

Queensland population: 5156138

CrimesTotal Criminal IncidentsQLD Total Criminal IncidentsCrime Rate (Per 100,000 Residents)QLD Crime Rate (per 100,000 residents)
Other Theft (excl. Unlawful Entry)6558312320125962389
Unlawful Entry1962046783777907
Unlawful Use of Motor Vehicle801918092317351
Arson44612521824
Handling Stolen Goods25915153103100
Fraud782214329310278
Other Property Damage1556537309616724

Other Offences

Other Offences is a group of crimes that covers many areas, including drugs, prostitution, gambling, and traffic. This includes drug crimes, prostitution, selling alcohol without permission, gambling and racing offences, breaking domestic violence protection orders, trespassing and vagrancy, weapon crimes, disorderly conduct, stock-related crimes, traffic violations, and other miscellaneous crimes.

Other Offences Comparison (Per 100,000 Residents)

Rate of other offences in Brisbane

Other Offences: Brisbane vs Queensland

Here is a breakdown of some of the other offences that we mentioned before.

CrimesTotal Criminal IncidentsQLD Total Criminal IncidentsCrime Rate (Per 100,000 Residents)QLD Crime Rate (per 100,000 residents)
Drug Offences2049748217811935
Trespassing and Vagrancy2169568068110
Liquor (excl. Drunkenness)43723501746
Weapons Act Offences26266258104121
Traffic and Related Offences1623343253643839

Brisbane Crimes per Square KM

Crimes per square KM in Brisbane vs Queensland

How many murders were in Brisbane in 2022?

According to Queensland Police Service (QPS), there were 18 murders in Brisbane in 2022. The number of other homicides (which includes attempted murder, murder conspiracy, and manslaughter) was 32.

What’s the most common crime in Brisbane?

According to the latest available data from Queensland Police Service (QPS), the most common type of crime in Brisbane is theft.

What is the crime rate in Brisbane?

The overall crime rate in Brisbane, as measured by the number of reported offences per 100,000 population was 7850 in the year ending June 2022.

However, it’s important to note that this is an aggregate figure that includes all types of crime, and some types of offences are more prevalent than others. Additionally, crime rates can vary by location, with some areas experiencing higher rates of certain types of crime than others.

Is Brisbane a safe place to live?

Brisbane is safer than 59% of cities and towns across Australia and the crime rates are near the average for all cities and towns of all sizes in Australia. Compared to Queensland cities, Brisbane is safer than 37% other communities in the state which are considered moderate safety scores in Queensland.

Is Brisbane safe at night?

According to Queensland Government Statistician’s Office, 44% of crimes in Brisbane occur between 6 PM and 6 AM so, it’s moderate safety to walk alone in Brisbane at night.

What suburb has the highest crime rate in Brisbane?

Brisbane city is the suburb with the highest rate of reported criminal incidents in Greater Brisbane with a rate of 74668 incidents per 100,000 population, according to QPS 2022 data. Brisbane city is safer than only 2% of Queensland suburbs.

What is the safest suburb in Brisbane?

Delaneys Creek is the safest suburb in Brisbane with a rate of 590 incidents per 100,000 population as per the QPS report. Delaneys Creek is safer than 89% of Queensland suburbs.

However, it’s important to note that low crime rates do not necessarily guarantee safety, and that crime can occur anywhere. Hence, it’s essential always to stay vigilant and take appropriate safety measures.

Brisbane Crime Rate by Suburb

Note: This article doesn’t have detailed data for family violence, victims, female offenders, reoffending, sexual offences, stalking, and youth crime. For more information about these topics, check our resources page.

References

  • Queensland Government Statistician’s Office
  • Queensland Police Service (QPS)

State

Queensland