According to Queensland Police Service (QPS), Cairns City crime rate for the year ending June 2022 was 128121 incidents per 100,000 population. This represents a 15% increase from the previous year.

Cairns City Crime Index

0

(100 is safest)

Safer than 0% of most Australia suburbs

Cairns City Crime Map

Cairns City crime map

Is Cairns City Safe?

Cairns City has low safety metrics. Crime rates in Cairns City are considerably higher than the average across most suburbs in Australia. Cairns City is safer than 0% of all Australian suburbs and than 1% of Queensland suburbs. However, good order offences is a common offence in Cairns City.

Cairns City Crime Statistics at a Glance

Has Crime in Cairns City 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 Cairns City.

60-month trend of criminal incidents across Cairns City
  • The number of criminal incidents recorded in the year 2022 was 4629, up 15% from 4040 incidents recorded in the same period last year.
  • Cairns City is in the 1st percentile for safety, meaning 99% of Queensland suburbs are safer than Cairns City and 1% of suburbs are more dangerous than Cairns City.
  • Street safety to walk at night: moderate safety.
  • Common crime: good order offences.
  • The number of assault offences recorded in 2022 increased by 26% (98 Incidents) compared to the previous year..
  • The number of murder offences recorded in 2022 decreased by 100% (1 Incidents) compared to the previous year.
  • The number of unlawful entry offences recorded in 2022 increased by 103% (112 Incidents) compared to the previous year.
  • The number of theft offences (excl. Unlawful Entry) recorded in 2022 increased by 40% (350 Incidents) compared to the previous year.
  • The number of robbery offences recorded in 2022 increased by 48% (10 Incidents) compared to the previous year.
  • The number of unlawful use of motor vehicles (car theft) recorded in 2022 increased by 100% (31 Incidents) compared to the previous year.
  • The number of vandalism offences (other property damage) recorded in 2022 increased by 5% (13 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

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Crime in Cairns City: An In-Depth Analysis

AU Crime Rate analyzed crime data from the Queensland Police Service (QPS) and found that crime rates in Cairns City are considerably higher than the average across most suburbs in Australia. In fact, it is considered safer than about 0% of suburbs in the country across all population sizes.

The crime rates in Cairns City are higher than approximately 99% of other suburbs in Queensland. Consequently, the suburb has low scores for public safety.

Your chance of becoming a victim of a crime if you live here? It’s 0 based on the combined crime rate of offences against the person and property while the risk of becoming a victim of crime in Queensland is at 1 in 16.

Discovering the full picture of Cairns City’s crime statistics is crucial, and delving into the details of its against the person and property crime data is the key. By doing so, we can uncover which type of crime is more prevalent, whether it be violent or property-related, and gain a deeper understanding of the crime rate in Cairns City. So join us on this exploration, as we uncover the nature and extent of crime in this community.

Cairns City crime rate for crimes against the person is 14669 per 100,000 inhabitants, whereas the Queensland average rate is 1097. This meant that the likelihood of becoming a victim of such crimes in Cairns City was 1 in 6. The crimes against persons included in this analysis are homicide, assault, robbery, and other offences against the person.

According to our data, the likelihood of an individual becoming a victim of property crime in Cairns City is 0, with a rate of 55051 incidents per 100,000 inhabitants. It is important to note that the average rate of property crime in Queensland is 4773 incidents per 100,000 residents. The property crimes included in this analysis consist of arson, fraud, handling stolen goods, unlawful entry, unlawful use of motor vehicles, other theft, and other property damage.

Cairns City Crime Rates by Offences Division

DivisionNumber of CrimesCrime Rate (Per 100,000 Residents)
Crimes against the person53014669
Property and deception offences198955051
Other offences211058400
Total4629128121

Cairns City 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 6

In Cairns City

1 in 90

In Queensland

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

Violent crimes against the person in Cairns City vs QLD in Australia

Crimes Against the Person: Cairns City vs Queensland

Cairns City population: 3613

Queensland population: 5156138

CrimesTotal Criminal IncidentsQLD Total Criminal IncidentsCrime Rate (Per 100,000 Residents)QLD Crime Rate (per 100,000 residents)
Robbery31235485846
Other offences against the person277156747139
Homicide (Murder)04500.87
Other Homicide166281.3
Assault4714694013036910

It’s important to note that the crime rates for sexual offences are not included in the previously mentioned data for Cairns City. Here is Cairns local government area (LGA) 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 Rape13428247355
Other Sexual Offences361477119893
Sexual Offences (Total)4957595271147

Cairns City 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

0

In Cairns City

1 in 20

In Queensland

Offences Against Property Comparison (Per 100,000 Residents)

Property offences in Cairns City vs QLD

Against Property offences: Cairns City vs Queensland, Australia

Cairns City population: 3613

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)1215123201336292389
Unlawful Entry221467836117907
Unlawful Use of Motor Vehicle62180921716351
Arson312528324
Handling Stolen Goods7951532187100
Fraud149143294124278
Other Property Damage260373097196724

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 in Cairns City vs Queensland

Other Offences: Cairns City 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 Offences3894821710767935
Trespassing and Vagrancy6856801882110
Liquor (excl. Drunkenness)612350168846
Weapons Act Offences7862582159121
Traffic and Related Offences155432534290839

Cairns City Crimes per Square KM

Crimes per square km in Cairns City vs Queensland

How many murders were in Cairns City in 2022?

According to Queensland Police Service (QPS), there were 0 murders in Cairns City in 2022. The number of other homicides (which includes attempted murder, murder conspiracy, and manslaughter) was 1.

What’s the most common crime in Cairns City?

According to the latest available data from Queensland Police Service (QPS), the most common type of crime in Cairns City is good order offences.

What is the crime rate in Cairns City?

The overall crime rate in Cairns City, as measured by the number of reported offences per 100,000 population was 128121 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 Cairns City a safe place to live in?

Cairns City is safer than 0% of suburbs across Australia and the crime rates are considerably higher than the average across most suburbs in Australia. Compared to Queensland suburbs, Cairns City is safer than 1% other suburbs in the state which are considered low safety scores in Queensland.

Is Cairns City safe at night?

According to Queensland Government Statistician’s Office, 54% of crimes in Cairns City occur between 6 PM and 6 AM so, it’s moderate safety to walk alone in Cairns City at night.

Total Crime Stats of Cairns City

Offence Divison Offence SubdivisonYear (2021)Year (2022)
Offences Against PropertyArson33
Offences Against the PersonAssault373471
Offences Against the PersonRobbery2131
Offences Against the PersonHomicide (Murder)10
Offences Against the PersonOther Homicide01
Offences Against the PersonOther Offences Against the Person2227
Offences Against PropertyFraud177149
Offences Against PropertyUnlawful Entry109221
Offences Against PropertyUnlawful Use of Motor Vehicle3162
Offences Against PropertyHandling Stolen Goods6279
Offences Against PropertyOther Theft (excl. Unlawful Entry)8651215
Offences Against PropertyOther Property Damage247260
Other OffencesDrug Offences378389
Other OffencesGood Order Offences13551252
Other OffencesWeapons Act Offences6078
Other OffencesStock Related Offences00
Other OffencesTraffic and Related Offences134155
Other OffencesTrespassing and Vagrancy6768
Other OffencesProstitution Offences01
Other OffencesGaming Racing & Betting Offences00
Other OffencesLiquor (excl. Drunkenness)5161
Other OffencesMiscellaneous Offences84106

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)

Greater Capital City Statistical Area

Greater Brisbane

State

Queensland