Does Australia have a serious crime problem?
Australia is a safe country by international standards, however, it’s important to take the usual safety precautions that you would in any country and to bear in mind that Australia has become a more violent place in the last decade. Crime rates vary from state to state: the ACT and the Northern Territory are the most ‘dangerous’ places to live, while Tasmania and Victoria are the safest.
Bear in mind that – as in most countries – crime rates vary considerably from region to region and suburb to suburb in cities. If you’re particularly concerned about crime, compare crime rates and choose a region or suburb with a low crime rate.
Burglary is rife in Australian cities, particularly Sydney, and nearly 500,000 cases are reported each year.
Car theft is also widespread in cities, although the incidence is decreasing. Beware of pickpockets and opportunist thieves such as bag snatchers in major cities and crowded places, and keep a close eye on your belongings when travelling on public transport and when staying in hotels or hostels. ‘Ram-raiding’ used to be widespread in Australian cities but has fallen off since retailers stopped displaying valuable goods in their windows.
Although basically honest, many Australians delight in ‘beating the system’, including cheating their employers (bludging), fiddling their income tax (e.g. by not declaring income) and not paying motoring fines – unpaid fines total $millions annually. Many people take their lead from officials, the police and politicians, among whom corruption is widespread. Organised crime is rife in Australia’s major cities, where much crime is linked to Asian gangs. It’s estimated that crime costs Australia over $30bn annually, including white-collar crime (e.g. false pretences, forgery and fraud), which is the country’s largest crime cost (it’s also the biggest crime growth area and the hardest to prosecute). Around $13bn per year is spent on public and private crime prevention.
Violent crime is rare in Australia, although it has increased in the last decade or so, as in most other developed countries. An increasing number of violent incidents are fuelled by excessive alcohol, which has led the authorities to crack down on drinking and make many streets and beaches ‘alcohol-free zones’ (shown by signs). There has been an increase in armed robbery in the last decade, and assaults, murders and rapes have all increased dramatically, although muggings are still relatively rare. However, to put this into perspective, you can generally safely walk anywhere in Australia at any time of the day or night.
Violent crimes by the young have soared (many children and youths are totally out of control) and gun and knife culture is widespread. Armed robbery is becoming fairly common in Australia, where banks, petrol stations and retail outlets are the most common targets (particularly all-night shops and petrol supermarkets). Women should avoid travelling alone at night; hitchhiking is dangerous for both sexes and there have been a number of murders of backpackers in recent years, many involving a serial killer (thankfully now behind bars).
Central government, local authorities, police forces and security companies all publish information and provide advice on crime prevention. Police forces have local crime prevention officers whose job is to provide free advice to businesses, homeowners and individuals.
For more information see Living and Working in Australia by David Hampshire
