David Crisafulli claims drop in Queensland crime victim rates but Labor says he’s cherrypicking data | Queensland

Queensland’s LNP government has released figures claiming a substantial drop in the state’s victims of crime rate, as the Labor opposition accuses it of cherrypicking data.

During last year’s state election campaign, the premier, David Crisafulli, staked his leadership on reducing the crime victim rates each year of his first term in government. He initially vowed to resign if crime victim numbers did not reduce under a government led by him, but later walked that back, claiming that he was referring to per capita rates, and not the overall number of victims.

The government released police statistics on Tuesday, which Crisafulli claimed show crime victim rates had fallen by almost 6% in the first six months of the 2025 calendar year, compared to the first six months of 2024.

He said there were 75,084 victims in the first half of 2024 compared to 72,588 this year. This represented about a 5.7% fall when adjusted for population growth.

Crisafulli said he had done “a little better” than his electoral commitment.

“A reduction of five and a bit per cent, it can only be described as the first step in the journey, because we are still off such historically high bases,” he said.

“So if you’re asking whether or not I’m popping champagne corks, we’re a long way off that.”

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The state’s victims of crime data is particularly significant politically, because during last year’s election campaign the premier vowed to resign if the number went up.

But these numbers do not include the largest category of crime captured by the Australian Bureau of Statistics – “other theft” – which measures offending like shoplifting. There were more than 150,000 victims of “other theft” in the latest ABS data, from 2023, more than half the overall number.

More than half of other theft offences occurred at a retail location, such as shoplifting, but the category also includes a broad range of other offences.

“Robbery is down 13.2%. Break and enters are down 12%. Stolen cars are down 6.4%,” Crisafulli said.

“Just to be clear, the information that we are presenting is Queensland police service data. It’s been there since 2001, so it is apples with apples.”

In an estimates hearing on Tuesday, the Labor leader, Steven Miles, accused the government of cherrypicking victim numbers.

“Tens of thousands of Queenslanders are no longer considered victims in the eyes of David Crisafulli,” he said.

“His victim data isn’t worth the paper that it’s printed on, because he’s cut corners, cherrypicked, and removed offences that should matter.

“Victims of other theft could be the local independent grocer who has had stock swiped from their shelves, or someone who’s had items stolen from their car.”

Crisafulli said the commonwealth methodology included crimes “that don’t relate to a victim”.

“You’re counting a street sign as a victim of crime,” he said.

The premier said the broader statistics “will be released” and the new numbers were simply an “additional tool – so not to replace it”.

The new data also revealed the effect of the state’s brand new statute banning coercive control.

There were just 42 registered victims of the crime since it became an enforceable offence in May.

The release of the latest crime statistics came as the government announced a deal with the police union, hailed as the “largest ever” by the police union general president, Shane Prior.

Police would receive an increase in base pay of at least 8% over the next three years, plus an $8,000 “retention bonus” and additional bonuses for working in a regional or rural area, or for working night or evening shifts.