Police were increasing their visibility in communities and a recruitment campaign was paying dividends, she said.

“We are seeing more and more applications ... and people coming through our police academies both in Brisbane and in Townsville,” she said.

The public perception numbers were revealed as footage emerged of people confronting car thieves on the Gold Coast and Townsville at the weekend, prompting a warning from the premier.

“Please don’t take matters into your own hands,” she said.

“Please call the authorities. The police are trained to deal with these issues – please leave that to the police.”

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said he had heard people’s concerns at a community crime forum in the Redlands area south of Brisbane.

“There is no doubt that Queensland is facing a cocktail of weaker laws, fewer police, and as a result, they feel less safe than ever before,” he told reporters.

“They’re telling us about how much it’s impacting their mental health, their feeling of safety, the environment that they want their kids to grow up in.

“There has to be consequences for actions and the Youth Justice Act must be rewritten. We must remove detention as a last resort and allow the judiciary to do their job.”

Opposition police spokesman Dale Last said one person at the forum had spent $16,000 beefing up their home security.

“In their own words they’re now living like a prisoner because they fear that they’re going to be broken into yet again,” he said.

“The residents’ message today was very, very clear. They’re fed up. They’ve had a gutful, they want something to be done about it.”

– AAP