Crime in Alice Springs
Crime is a significant social issue in Alice Springs.[1][2][3][4] Alice Springs has the highest crime rate of any Australian city, with raw crime numbers higher than Darwin, a city with three times the population and a record of high crime[5]
Statistics
In 2009 there were 1432 recorded assaults in Alice Springs,[3] with 65% of assaults involving alcohol.[3][6] Reported assaults had almost doubled since 2004.[3] The Territory's Southern Region Police Commander, Anne-Marie Murphy said that itinerancy, domestic violence and alcohol were the main factors driving up crime rates.[3]
In the 2009-10 financial year, the Northern Territory Justice Department's Quarterly Crime & Justice Statistics report recorded that there were 1632 reported cases of theft, and 906 reports of property damage in Alice Springs.[7][8] 774 homes and businesses were broken into during the 2009-10 financial year.[7][8]
Crime increase
The NT Justice Department's Quarterly Crime & Justice Statistics report documented increases across multiple categories of crime in Alice Springs in the 6 years between the 2004-05 and the 2009-10 reporting periods.[8] Recorded cases of assault rose by 87%,[8] sexual assault offences rose by 97%,[8] and house break-ins increased by 64%.[8]
Break-ins to commercial premises rose by 185%,[8] and 'motor vehicle theft and related offences' increased by 97%[8] on 2004-05 figures.[8]
2015 saw national concern focused on youth crime in Alice Springs, including incidents in which rocks were thrown at police.[9][10]
Between 2014-2015 and 2015-2016, crime rose significantly in Alice Springs. Assaults increased 15.4%, sexual assaults skyrocketed 36.2%, commercial break-ins rose 18.3%, motor vehicle theft 28.1% and property damage 12.3%[11]
Response to crime
In 2008, the Alice Springs town council began to hire private security guards to patrol the town, at a cost of $5000 per week.[4] The Northern Territory government has been accused of underfunding social services for Aboriginal people in Alice Springs,[4] as part of a wider problem of underfunding across central Australia.[4] Alice Springs Mayor Damien Ryan has indicated that crime has increased as more people migrated into the city from remote communities.[12]
Some long-time residents of Alice Springs have moved away as a direct result of crime concerns.[1] Local businesses have spent increased amounts to upgrade the physical security of their premises from property crime,[12][7] including the use of high security fences, razor wire and security cameras.[12][7]
See also
- Crime in the Northern Territory
- Alice Springs Correctional Centre
- Alice Springs Juvenile Holding Centre
References
- 1 2 Rothwell, Nicolas (2011-02-19). "Violence in Alice spirals out of control". The Australian. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
- ↑ Rothwell, Nicolas (2011-02-08). "Destroyed in Alice". The Australian. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Tlozek, Eric (2010-03-31). "Alice crime rates reach unprecedented levels". ABC Online. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
- 1 2 3 4 Robinson, Natasha (2008-12-22). "Down like Alice the meltdown of a tourism mecca". The Australian. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
- ↑ http://www.alicespringsnews.com.au/2011/07/29/we-beat-darwin-%E2%80%93-in-crime/
- ↑ Chlanda, Erwin (2012-01-31). "Alcohol by far enemy number one in crime fight". Alice Springs News Online. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
- 1 2 3 4 Hainke, Nadja (2011-02-19). "Alice crime tsunami building tension". Northern Territory News. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 http://www.nt.gov.au/justice/policycoord/documents/statistics/32/Issue-32-Fact-Sheets.pdf
- ↑ Davidson, Helen (17 April 2015). "'Nothing is off the table' in NT taskforce to tackle rising youth crime". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
- ↑ "Rocks thrown at police, windows broken and vehicles damaged during wild night in Alice Springs". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. ABC. 13 April 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
- ↑ http://www.pfes.nt.gov.au/Police/Community-safety/Northern-Territory-crime-statistics/Alice-Springs.aspx
- 1 2 3 Schliebs, Mark (2011-02-21). "Besieged Alice Springs businesses resort to razor wire". The Australian. Retrieved 2014-01-20.