Mount Isa Police have confirmed there was a decline in crime across the district during the COVID-19 lockdown.
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From March to June 2020, the COVID-19 lockdown affected all Queenslanders and even managed to bring down some of the crime statistics in the region.
Officer in Charge of Mount Isa Police Station Senior Sergeant Renee Hanrahan said it created unprecedented times for everyone including the police service.
"It has been interesting to see how the crime statistics emerged through this period, we didn't know what to expect," she said.
"For us here n the Mount Isa Division, the lockdown period shows a downward trend across most aspects of crime classes."
For the duration of COVID-19 heavy lockdown from March to June, there was a 5.83 per cent decrease across all reported crimes.
There was an 8.17 per cent decrease in assaults, 4 per cent decrease in unlawful entry, 24.76 per cent decrease in other theft including shop dwellings and vehicles and 24.43 percent in good order offences.
Snr Sgt Hanrahan said there were a number of factors the decrease could be attributed too.
"Our good order offences and public space offending, including intoxicated behaviour, is significantly down and you can attribute that to a reduction in social events and restrictions on licensed premises," she said.
"People's social habits have also changed largely, with more time at home and less time away from the household is something that is attributed to decrease in property offending. It is still present but has taken a downward trend."
Police statistics show there were few crimes that were bucking the trend, with a few increases across the region.
Drug offences increased 50.22 per cent, traffic offences increased 5.5 per cent and sexual offences increased 39.21 per cent on 2019 statistics.
"Domestic violence is the only crime remaining with our normal trends," Snr Sgt Hanrahan said.
Border closures and cancelling of events has also contributed to the lockdown crime statistics.
"The lack of events is also affecting our crime stats across the board, because we run on a regional calendar that is embedded in our regional lifestyle, that has seen a big decline in the transient population that usually comes with those events.
"Border restrictions stopping the traffic coming to town is removing the population and opportunity for offending.
"We will now be watching those seasonal trends that have an impact on crime. Moving into our warmer months usually means an increase in alcohol intake, but we still expect to see a reduction with how our licensed premises are operating.
COVID-19 restrictions also adjusted the operations of Queensland Police, with the ever changing restrictions and guidelines needing to be enforced.
"We have had to reevaluate our staffing and where we deploy staff," Snr Sgt Hanrahan said.
"We have been looking at our resources and had to move it around to the demand at the time. When we have seen a reduction in some areas it has given us the capacity to move it into a different area and that is having to be reviewed daily throughout the pandemic response as restrictions change."
Snr Sgt Hanrahan said when the border restrictions came into place, Mount Isa District was receiving support from Brisbane.
"Brisbane operations were supporting us heavily when we had the border closures, particularly when we had the biosecurity locations as well," she said.
"Now withe the increased demands in the south east, and us still part of the state response, it may mean that we can support Brisbane operations while they have a greater demand.
"The demand can change overnight and as they shift we have to reevaluate."
Snr Sgt Hanrahan said "we will have to come out of COVID-19 completely to see what statistics can be attributed to the pandemic."
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