Douglas (Townsville – Qld) 4814 Crime Rate: Is it safe?

According to Queensland Police Service (QPS), Douglas crime rate for the year ending June 2022 was 10900 incidents per 100,000 population. This represents a 19% increase from the previous year.

Douglas Crime Index

17

(100 is safest)

Safer than 17% of most Australia suburbs

Douglas Crime Map

Is Douglas Safe?

Douglas has low safety metrics. Crime rates in Douglas are considerably higher than the average across most suburbs in Australia. Douglas is safer than 17% of all Australian suburbs and than 20% of Queensland suburbs. However, unlawful entry is a common offence in Douglas.

Douglas Crime Statistics at a Glance

Has Crime in Douglas 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 Douglas.

• The number of criminal incidents recorded in the year 2022 was 845, up 19% from 710 incidents recorded in the same period last year.

• Douglas is in the 20th percentile for safety, meaning 80% of Queensland suburbs are safer than Douglas and 20% of suburbs are more dangerous than Douglas.

• Street safety to walk at night: unsafe.

• Common crime: unlawful entry.

• The number of assault offences recorded in 2022 increased by 1% (1 Incidents) compared to the previous year..

• There were no murder offences recorded during the years 2021 and 2022.

• The number of unlawful entry offences recorded in 2022 increased by 40% (85 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• The number of theft offences (excl. Unlawful Entry) recorded in 2022 decreased by 2% (3 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• There was no change in the number of robbery offences recorded during the years 2021 and 2022.

• The number of unlawful use of motor vehicles (car theft) recorded in 2022 increased by 33% (16 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• The number of vandalism offences (other property damage) recorded in 2022 increased by 32% (12 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

Crime in Douglas: An In-Depth Analysis

AU Crime Rate’s analysis of recent crime data from the Queensland Police Service (QPS) reveals that Douglas’s crime rate is considerably higher than the average across most suburbs in Australia, as it is ranked safer than only 17% of suburbs across the country, irrespective of population size.

Approximately 80% of Queensland suburbs have a lower crime rate compared to Douglas. Therefore, Douglas’s public safety metrics are generally considered low.

How risky is that? Living in Douglas comes with a statistical risk of 1 in 10 of becoming a victim of crime, considering the total rate of crimes against the person and property. In contrast, the average chance of falling victim to crime in Queensland stands at 1 in 16.

To better understand Douglas’s overall crime rate, it is essential to examine its performance in crimes against the person and property crimes separately. This approach can provide further insight into whether violent crimes, property crimes, or both, are the primary drivers of the general crime rate in Douglas.

AU Crime Rate’s analysis of Douglas crime statistics shows that there are 1316 incidents against the person per 100,000 inhabitants in a standard year, compared to the Queensland average rate of 1097. As a result, the chances of becoming a victim of crimes such as homicide, assault, robbery, and other offences against the person in Douglas are 1 in 75.

Our analysis indicates that if you reside in Douglas, your chances of falling victim to property crimes, including arson, fraud, handling stolen goods, unlawful entry, unlawful use of motor vehicle, other theft, and other property damage, are 1 in 13, equivalent to a rate of 7263 per 100,000 residents. As a reference, the property crime rate for every 100,000 residents in Queensland is 4773.

Douglas Crime Rates by Offences Division

Douglas 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: Douglas vs Queensland

It’s important to note that the crime rates for sexual offences are not included in the previously mentioned data for Douglas. Here is Townsville local government area (LGA) data for these offences that can be used as a benchmark for comparison.

Douglas 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: Douglas 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: Douglas vs Queensland

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

Douglas Crimes per Square KM

How many murders were in Douglas in 2022?

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

What’s the most common crime in Douglas?

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

What is the crime rate in Douglas?

The overall crime rate in Douglas, as measured by the number of reported offences per 100,000 population was 10900 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 Douglas a safe place to live in?

Douglas is safer than 17% of suburbs across Australia and the crime rates are considerably higher than the average across most suburbs in Australia. Compared to Queensland suburbs, Douglas is safer than 20% other suburbs in the state which are considered low safety scores in Queensland.

Is Douglas safe at night?

According to Queensland Government Statistician’s Office, 65% of crimes in Douglas occur between 6 PM and 6 AM so, it’s unsafe to walk alone in Douglas at night.

Total Crime Stats of Douglas

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)