Surfers Paradise, Queensland 4217 Crime Rate: Is it safe?

According to Queensland Police Service (QPS), Surfers Paradise crime rate for the year ending June 2022 was 25880 incidents per 100,000 population. This represents a 6% increase from the previous year.

Surfers Paradise Crime Index

5

(100 is safest)

Safer than 5% of most Australia suburbs

Surfers Paradise Crime Map

Is Surfers Paradise Safe?

Surfers Paradise has low safety metrics. Crime rates in Surfers Paradise are considerably higher than the average across most suburbs in Australia. Surfers Paradise is safer than 5% of all Australian suburbs and than 6% of Queensland suburbs. However, good order offences is a common offence in Surfers Paradise.

Surfers Paradise Crime Statistics at a Glance

Has Crime in Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise.

• The number of criminal incidents recorded in the year 2022 was 6842, up 6% from 6445 incidents recorded in the same period last year.

• Surfers Paradise is in the 6th percentile for safety, meaning 94% of Queensland suburbs are safer than Surfers Paradise and 6% of suburbs are more dangerous than Surfers Paradise.

• Street safety to walk at night: unsafe.

• Common crime: good order offences.

• The number of assault offences recorded in 2022 increased by 5% (29 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 decreased by 18% (84 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• The number of theft offences (excl. Unlawful Entry) recorded in 2022 decreased by 15% (248 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• The number of robbery offences recorded in 2022 increased by 3% (1 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• The number of unlawful use of motor vehicles (car theft) recorded in 2022 decreased by 25% (61 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• The number of vandalism offences (other property damage) recorded in 2022 decreased by 3% (10 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

Crime in Surfers Paradise: An In-Depth Analysis

According to AU Crime Rate’s analysis of the latest crime statistics from the Queensland Police Service (QPS), Surfers Paradise is ranked safer than 5% of the suburbs across Australia, regardless of population size. That means that Surfers Paradise crime rate is considerably higher than the average across most suburbs in Australia.

In Queensland, only about 94% of suburbs have a lower crime rate than Surfers Paradise. As a result, Surfers Paradise has low scores in public safety metrics.

If you are a resident of Surfers Paradise, your chance of becoming a victim of crime is 1 in 7 (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 Surfers Paradise’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 Surfers Paradise’s overall crime rate. So, are you curious to learn more about Surfers Paradise’s crime data and what they reveal about the suburb’s safety and security? Let’s dive in!

AU Crime Rate’s analysis reveals that against the person crime rate in Surfers Paradise is 2568 per one hundred thousand inhabitants while the Queensland average rate is 1097. So, one’s chances of becoming a victim of crimes against the person (violent crime) in Surfers Paradise is 1 in 38. 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 Surfers Paradise, is 1 in 9. This is equal to a rate of 9733 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.

Surfers Paradise Crime Rates by Offences Division

Surfers Paradise 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: Surfers Paradise vs Queensland

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

Surfers Paradise 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: Surfers Paradise 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: Surfers Paradise vs Queensland

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

Surfers Paradise Crimes per Square KM

How many murders were in Surfers Paradise in 2022?

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

What’s the most common crime in Surfers Paradise?

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

What is the crime rate in Surfers Paradise?

The overall crime rate in Surfers Paradise, as measured by the number of reported offences per 100,000 population was 25880 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 Surfers Paradise a safe place to live in?

Surfers Paradise is safer than 5% of suburbs across Australia and the crime rates are considerably higher than the average across most suburbs in Australia. Compared to Queensland suburbs, Surfers Paradise is safer than 6% other suburbs in the state which are considered low safety scores in Queensland.

Is Surfers Paradise safe at night?

According to Queensland Government Statistician’s Office, 63% of crimes in Surfers Paradise occur between 6 PM and 6 AM so, it’s unsafe to walk alone in Surfers Paradise at night.

Total Crime Stats of Surfers Paradise

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)