CRIMINAL INTENT
EXCLUSIVE: Data reveals the suburbs that crims target
POLICE crime statistics have revealed the suburbs Townsville’s criminals are now targeting.
While the data for the 12- month period to August 21 this year reveals a general downward trend in crime across all suburbs, some continue to be hard- hit.
James Cook University lecturer Dr Mark David Chong said particular suburbs were being targeted by a hard- core group of offenders.
“I don’t believe the crime spike has occurred uniformly across every suburb in our city,” he said.
“Unfortunately there are some suburbs that would have experienced exceptionally high levels of offences.”
CRIME hot spots are a blight on at- risk Townsville suburbs despite a downward trend in offences.
Hard- core youth offenders are behind the spike in crimes, according to a senior lecturer in criminology and criminal justice studies.
The Bulletin analysed the crime rates in Townsville suburbs and found there had been a substantial increase in offences in Mount St John, Hyde Park, Annandale, Condon and Rasmussen.
During the 12 months from August 21, 2016, to August 21, 2017, the crime rate spiked by 36.1 per cent in Hyde Park, with 100 more offences committed compared to the same period the previous year.
Overall crime also increased in Condon by 25.22 per cent with 839 offences committed in the past year.
There was also a 26.25 per cent increase in Annandale during the period, with a total of 505 offences committed, according to Queensland Police Service statistics.
The crime spike comes as offence rates dropped across the board in Townsville, with police recording less crime in major population centres. The crime rate fell in Belgian Gardens by 21.05 per cent.
Dr Mark David Chong teaches at James Cook University and has started a regular podcast and radio segment about crime with his colleague, senior lecturer in multimedia journalism Dr Amy Forbes. Their first episode of CrimWatch looked at whether a crime wave was affecting Townsville.
Dr Chong said some suburbs had been unreasonably victimised.
“I don’t believe the crime spike has occurred uniformly across every suburb in our city,” he said.
Dr Chong said a large number of crimes had been committed in Condon including break and enter and burglary offences as well as theft and drug crimes.
He said a group of 30 to 40 hard- core young recidivists were responsible for a great deal of the crime.
“Police are very much aware of these families to the extent they are putting in place early intervention strategies,” he said.
Dr Chong liaises with police as a member of Townsville City Council’s Crime Prevention Community Safety Advisory Committee and said officers were working on enforcement as well as a more holistic approach as part of the Townsville Stronger Communities program.
“Once these 30 to 40 offenders have their problems addressed then we may see a considerable reduction in criminal offences – as long as we don’t then have a new lot of young offenders that are modelling their activities after the recidivists.
“That’s the fear and there’s a need to look at early intervention programs to prevent youth from following in their footsteps.”
Dr Chong said some suburbs were more vulnerable to crime than others.
“A lot of these crimes tend to be opportunistic, offences which take very little planning and effort to commit.
“It’s unclear if offenders are living there, they could be living in other suburbs and looking at vulnerable targets.
“Young offenders are more likely to commit opportunistic crimes rather than crimes that take preparation such as casing out an area and looking for security.”
Dr Chong said some suburbs were not well insulated by crime prevention measures such as security screens and covered or locked garages.
“If they have residents that are lackadaisical about personal security and leave doors and windows open without screens they can be targeted,” he said.
Inspector Joe Kitching, of the Townsville Rapid Action and Patrols group, said police had a two- pronged approach to dealing with young recidivist offenders.
He said officers in the RAP group were able to respond quickly and effectively to crimes including stolen cars and out of control parties.
Insp Kitching said the Townsville Stronger Communities Action Group had also been formed as part of a collaborative inter- agency campaign to examine intervention strategies.
“We’re trying to engage with offenders and their families with the view of trying to break the cycle of crime,” Insp Kitching said.
CrimWatch airs weekly from 6.40pm on Triple T at 103.9FM.