Townsville city, QLD Crime Rate by Suburb: Is it safe?

According to Queensland Police Service (QPS), Townsville crime rate for the year ending June 2022 was 15344 incidents per 100,000 population. This represents a 15% increase from the previous year.

Townsville Crime Index

17

(100 is safest)

Safer than 17% of most Australia cities

Townsville Crime Map

Is Townsville Safe?

Townsville has low safety metrics. Crime rates in Townsville are considerably higher than the average across all communities in Australia. Townsville is safer than 17% of all Australian communities and than 11% of Queensland cities and towns. However, theft is a common offence in Townsville.

Townsville Crime Statistics at a Glance

Has Crime in Townsville 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 Townsville.

• The number of criminal incidents recorded in the year 2022 was 26656, up 15% from 23194 incidents recorded in the same period last year.

• Townsville is in the 11st percentile for safety, meaning 89% of Queensland urban areas are safer than Townsville and 11% of urban areas are more dangerous than Townsville.

• Street safety to walk at night: moderate safety.

• Common crime: theft.

• Safest suburb in Townsville city: Murray suburb.

• Top areas to avoid in Townsville city (bad areas): Townsville City suburb.

• The number of assault offences recorded in 2022 increased by 49% (1393 Incidents) compared to the previous year..

• The number of murder offences recorded in 2022 decreased by 67% (2 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• The number of unlawful entry offences recorded in 2022 increased by 16% (624 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• The number of theft offences (excl. Unlawful Entry) recorded in 2022 increased by 18% (789 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• The number of robbery offences recorded in 2022 increased by 45% (53 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• The number of unlawful use of motor vehicles (car theft) recorded in 2022 increased by 29% (294 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• The number of vandalism offences (other property damage) recorded in 2022 increased by 27% (526 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

Crime in Townsville: An In-Depth Analysis

Based on the latest crime statistics from the Queensland Police Service (QPS), AU Crime Rate’s analysis indicates that Townsville is safer than only 17% of all communities across the nation, regardless of population size. This implies that Townsville’s crime rate is considerably higher than the average across all communities in Australia.

How does Townsville perform compared to other cities and towns of all population sizes in Queensland? The crime rate in Townsville city is greater than that of roughly 89% of other cities and towns in Queensland, leading to low public safety scores.

As a resident of Townsville, the likelihood of becoming a victim of crime is 1 in 8 based on the combined crime rate of offences against the person and property. This is in contrast to the Queensland average, where the chance of becoming a victim of crime is 1 in 16.

To get a more comprehensive understanding of Townsville’s crime statistics, it is essential to take a closer look at its against the person and property crime data. This examination is particularly critical because it enables us to determine whether violent crime, property crime, or both are the primary contributors to the total crime rate in Townsville. By doing so, we can gain a more in-depth insight into the nature and extent of crime in Townsville.

AU Crime Rate’s analysis has uncovered that the rate of crimes against the person in Townsville is 2783 per one hundred thousand inhabitants. By contrast, the statewide average for such crimes stands at 1097. This suggests that experiencing serious offences like homicide, assault, robbery, and other offences against the person is 1 in 35 if you reside in Townsville.

Our data reveal that the odds of becoming a victim of property crime in Townsville city are 1 in 11, with a rate of 8191 incidents per 100,000 residents. Keep in mind that the Queensland average is 4773 incidents per 100,000 residents. The types of property crimes tracked in this analysis include arson, fraud, handling stolen goods, unlawful entry, unlawful use of motor vehicles, other theft, and other property damage.

Townsville Crime Rates by Offences Division

Townsville 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

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

Crimes Against the Person: Townsville vs Queensland

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

Townsville 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

Offences Against Property Comparison (Per 100,000 Residents)

Against Property offences: Townsville vs Queensland, Australia

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)

Other Offences: Townsville vs Queensland

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

Townsville Crimes per Square KM

How many murders were in Townsville city in 2022?

According to Queensland Police Service (QPS), there were 1 murders in Townsville city in 2022. The number of other homicides (which includes attempted murder, murder conspiracy, and manslaughter) was 2.

What’s the most common crime in Townsville city?

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

What is the crime rate in Townsville city?

The overall crime rate in Townsville city, as measured by the number of reported offences per 100,000 population was 15344 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 Townsville city a safe place to live in?

Townsville city is safer than 17% of cities and towns across Australia and the crime rates are considerably higher than the average across all communities in Australia. Compared to Queensland cities, Townsville city is safer than 11% other communities in the state which are considered low safety scores in Queensland.

Is Townsville city safe at night?

According to Queensland Government Statistician’s Office, 55% of crimes in Townsville city occur between 6 PM and 6 AM so, it’s moderate safety to walk alone in Townsville city at night.

What suburb has the highest crime rate in Townsville city?

Townsville City is the suburb with the highest rate of reported criminal incidents in Townsville city with a rate of 90696 incidents per 100,000 population, according to QPS 2022 data. Townsville City suburb is safer than only 2% of Queensland suburbs.

What is the safest suburb in Townsville city?

Murray is the safest suburb in Townsville city with a rate of 403 incidents per 100,000 population as per the QPS report. Murray suburb is safer than 90% 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.

Townsville 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)