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Personal safety

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Find personal safety tips and advice for when you’re out and about. Learn how our community safety initiatives reduce crime.

A group of young people conversing in Brunswick Street Mall, Fortitude Valley

Staying safe in Brisbane

The safety of our residents and visitors is a top priority. 

 While Brisbane is a safe place with a relaxed, subtropical lifestyle, crime can still occur.

Follow our tips to stay safe when out and about in our city.

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Contact Triple Zero (000) if you're in immediate danger or a crime is happening right now.

Safety out and about

Maintain your personal safety as you enjoy Brisbane.

Be prepared

  • Plan your routes to and from your destination.
  • Choose routes in well-lit, populated areas. 
  • Identify safe spots along the way. This might be a friend's house or a local shop. 

Be aware

  • Stay alert to your surroundings. We recommend removing your headphones if walking alone. 

Trust your instincts

  • Remove yourself from situations that make you feel unsafe or uncomfortable. 

Be heard

  • If someone threatens or attacks you, yell for help and make noise to draw attention to yourself. 

Preparing for a night out

To prepare for your night out:

  • charge your phone 
  • tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll be back
  • organise safe transport 
  • keep your valuables out of sight
  • avoid excessive drinking
  • be careful around intoxicated groups and avoid confrontation. 
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Note

For more information about personal safety and preventing crime, visit Queensland Police Service.

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Community safety initiatives

Your safety is our priority. We work with community groups on social strategies to reduce the causes of and motivations for crime.

Graffiti and vandalism

We have dedicated teams that help remove graffiti and other vandalism from public and Council-owned property. 

Council offers free graffiti removal kits and materials to help communities manage vandalism. 

CCTV

We have more than 3,500 CCTV cameras in and around the city to keep our roads and communities safe. 

Safe public lighting

We manage more than 125,000 public lights across Brisbane. We keep public areas appropriately lit to provide visibility and help people feel safe. This is in line with Australian Standards. 

Sharps management

Together with the Queensland Government and other organisations, we manage sharps (needles) in Brisbane.

We:

  • install more than 500 sharps disposal bins in public toilets and other public spaces 
  • check for discarded sharps throughout the city
  • encourage the safe disposal of needles with Needle Availability Support Programs
  • conduct a private property 'sharps bin trial.’

If your business needs help managing a sharps problem, contact Council.

Security improvement program

We are investing $1.5 million over 3 years improving security for local facilities, toilets, public parks and walkways.

Council is committed to ensuring our parks and playgrounds are safe spaces for everyone.

We're aware of growing concerns about anti-social behaviour, drug use and community safety risks linked to tent encampments in our parks. We're working with the Queensland Government to deliver a coordinated and supported response for vulnerable members of our community.

Homelessness is a serious and complex issue. We're committed to connecting vulnerable people with housing solutions/support, while maintaining the safety of our parks and playgrounds.

Camping in our parks

Camping in Council parks and public spaces is not permitted under the Public Land and Council Assets Local Law 2014. We can remove and store items (such as tents) that people have unlawfully placed on Council land. Local laws prohibiting camping in parks have been in place in Brisbane for nearly 100 years.

Our priority is to connect those in need with services and help them access support from Queensland Government agencies.

Council always takes a compassionate approach to homelessness and there is no blanket move-on order. However, if an individual does not engage or refuses assistance, Police can move them on.

We will remove unused tents to prevent the creation of more dangerous encampments in parks and playgrounds.

Council's CCTV program

Brisbane has the best lifestyle in Australia and we’re determined to keep it that way.

While crime is a Queensland Government issue, we’re doing what we can to make our parks and playgrounds safer. This includes operating a network of more than 3750 safety cameras across Brisbane.

These cameras are vital in preventing bad behaviour, helping police investigations, safeguarding Council assets land ensuring public safety.

We determine CCTV locations in consultation with Queensland Police Service (QPS) and our community safety partners. The cameras connect to Council’s Safety Camera Network and our 24/7 Security Operations Centre monitors them. Council works closely with Police to monitor and respond to any incidents identified.

Find out more about CitySafe closed circuit television footage.

How you can help keep our parks safe

You can support our efforts to keep Brisbane's parks safe by:

  • contacting the 24/7 Queensland Government's Homeless Hotline on 1800 474 553 if you see someone in need
  • donating essential items like toiletries, non-perishable food and clothing to Council's Homeless Connect events.

We’re planning and building a safer community so that you can enjoy all that Brisbane has to offer.

Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) Planning Scheme Policy

We’re ensuring the designs of new developments and buildings minimise opportunity for crime and increase public safety.

Download the CPTED Planning Scheme Policy to learn more.

Neighbourhood Watch (NHW)

You can join your local NHW group to improve your personal and household security. The Queensland Police Service supports NHW in partnership with local communities to reduce neighbourhood crime.

For more information, contact your local police station or visit Neighbourhood Watch Queensland.

Crime Stoppers Queensland

Crime Stoppers Queensland is a registered not-for-profit charity and community volunteer organisation.

Crime Stoppers plays a crucial role in community safety in Brisbane by providing anonymous reporting options for people wanting to share information about unsolved crimes and suspicious activities.  

For more information, visit Crime Stoppers Queensland.

Everyone deserves to live free from violence, abuse or intimidation. 

Domestic and family violence can affect anyone, whatever their age, gender, socio-economic status or cultural background. 

We’re committed to reducing violence in homes across our city. 

Our Domestic and Family Violence Strategy helps shape our work with partner organisations to keep families safe.  

Support services

If you’re experiencing domestic or family violence of any kind, you can get help at:

Report it

It’s important that you report any suspicious or dangerous activity. 

If you believe someone is in immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000).

Police

For other non-urgent crime or incidents, contact Queensland Police Service on 131 444. You can also contact a police officer or station through the Contact Queensland Police Service form.

Queensland Police Service also have a messaging service that allows deaf, hearing impaired and vulnerable people to contact them for non-urgent matters.

Crime Stoppers

Call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 if you have any information that might help solve a crime. This number is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Callers who wish to remain anonymous are not required to give their names or addresses.

For more information, visit Crime Stoppers Queensland.

Frequently asked questions

Brisbane is a safe and vibrant 24-hour city. For insights on a specific suburb, you can use our community profile tool to generate a report. 

Use the ‘crime and justice’ filter to assess the safety of an area.

To ensure you’re safe and aware on our bikeways:

  • sound your bell if you're a cyclist before passing pedestrians to warn them of your approach
  • acknowledge other path users by giving a quick 'hello' or 'thank you' when passing
  • keep left when cycling and walking on footpaths and shared paths
  • be conscious of other path users and behave in a confident, but non-threatening, manner to reassure others around you
  • make sure you understand bikeway signage and rules.