CRIME RATES: How Fraser Coast towns fared with crime in 2020

Crime across the Fraser Coast decreased by 900 reported incidents last year, according to MyPolice Queensland statistics.

Hervey Bay, Howard, Maryborough, Tiaro and Fraser Island recorded 8946 offences in 2020, compared with 9846 in the same time the previous year.

The Chronicle analysed the data during the period of January to November in 2019 and 2020.

It revealed theft, drug offences and breaching of domestic violence protection orders were among the most common crimes in the past year.

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Excluding unlawful entry offences, there were 1742 reported thefts including stealing from dwellings, shop stealing, stealing from vehicles or entering with intent.

Police recorded 1378 drug offences including trafficking, possessing, producing, selling and supplying.

Rates of breach of domestic violence protection orders were higher than traffic and related offences with 970 reported breaches in 2020, compared with the 748 traffic offences involving dangerous operation of a vehicle, drink driving, disqualified driving and interfere with mechanism of motor vehicle.

For the smaller suburbs like Fraser Island and Howard, crime went up.

The most common committed for both were traffic and related offences and the busiest month for criminal activity was August.

Tiaro was the only town to show a general increase in reported offences with a spike in March and April, and again in September and November.

Crime slowly decreased throughout the year in Hervey Bay. January and March were some of the busiest months recording 1115 offences.

The same went for Maryborough, with January and June the hardest hit with the first month recording 356 offences.

Crime statistics broken down by Fraser Coast towns

Tiaro - 279 offences

Most common crime: Drug offences, 51

Biggest month: April, 35 offences