FAR North Queensland has retained its notorious reputation for violence, with the region again leading the state for the rate of murders and assault crimes per head of population.

This is according to the latest 2008-09 crime statistics, which details incidents in each of the state’s police districts for the financial year.

Cairns, a police region that takes in Cape York, had five murders in the past 12 months, three more than the previous year.

There has been a total of 2983 cases of offences against a person.

The rap sheet includes rape, attempted rape, other sexual offences, armed robbery, unarmed robbery, kidnapping, extortion, stalking and life-endangering acts.

Armed robberies, home and business break-ins and dangerous driving have also been on the rise in Cairns in the past year.

A spike in armed robberies in May and June this year with supermarkets, taxi drivers, chemists and adult stores targeted has led to a dramatic 35 per cent increase.

The overall rate of break-ins across the city has increased by 1 per cent with break-ins of homes and shops increasing by 3 and 2 per cent, respectively.

But break-ins to other premises fell by 2 per cent.

Unlawful use of motor vehicles rose by 5 per cent amid the region’s road toll and liquor offences were up by 41 per cent.

Cairns District Police Supt Brent Carter said police had "made headway" with property crime.

"We’ve seen a pretty positive effort with our property crime team who have arrested 500 offenders and laid more than 2000 charges," Supt Carter said.

Opposition police and corrective services spokesman Vaughan Johnson said violent crime was on the rise across the state.

Last year, local politicians blamed a rise of violence in the Far North on thugs in the Cape York region skewing the statistics.

Cairns was singled out by the Queensland Government this year as one of four major crime hot spots in the State.

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