Crime in Brisbane

Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia, is a safe city by world standards, but does experience crime including limited violence at railway stations and heroin use.^{[citation needed]}

Crime statistics

There are a number of areas through-out the Brisbane Metro Area which have shown escalating criminal activity and gang activity over the past decade. Some of these areas included the southern suburbs of Dutton Park, Moorooka, Annerley and Camp Hill which is recording a sharp increase in property crimes and car theft.^[1]

Increased gang activity throughout the vast areas of Ipswich and Logan, had also shown an increase in armed robbery, production and distribution of drugs, assaults and homicides. On the other hand In 2009 alone, Logan reported over 1300 assaults while, Goodna in the south-western areas reported over 900 property offences alone.^[2]

By divisions, Logan City, Ipswich City and Brisbane Central Statistical Division generally have the highest overall crime rates through-out the Brisbane Metropolitan Area, however there are distinctions by crime type. For example Logan City, and Ipswich City for a number of years have had the highest numbers of armed robberies, homicide offences and gang activity, whereas the western areas have higher rates of sexual assaults and the eastern suburbs of Morningside and Wynnum dominate burglary.

Railway stations

The most dangerous train station within the Brisbane Metro Area, Ipswich

Some railway stations have issues with youth gangs and individuals harassing passengers and police officers.^{[citation needed]} Of the 143 network stations in the Citytrain network across South East Queensland, Ipswich was worst with seven assaults in the six months to the end of March 2008.^[3]

Other stations with just between four and six assaults in the same period were South Brisbane, Cannon Hill, Beenleigh, Central, Strathpine and Caboolture. Burpengary, Bald Hills and Indooroopilly train stations were the only on the Citytrain network to have a grievous assault - defined as potentially causing permanent injury or disability.^[3]

However the Queensland Police Operations Support Command say that the network is safe and that the rate of crime is not worse than that in the community in general, explaining that the perception it was higher was due to the close confines of being in a passenger train.^[3] The network operator, QR Limited, has implemented various security initiatives over more than a decade that includes closed-circuit television at stations and within trains, and patrols over the network and on-board services by Revenue Protection Officers, uniformed and plain-clothed police officers of the network's own squad, and security guards, to deter crime and assist with identifying offenders.

Heroin

A study by the Australian Institute of Criminology found that of those arrested in the Brisbane central business district, 15% were users of heroin, the second-highest rate of use in the country after Footscray in inner-west Melbourne.^[4]

Youth gangs

Like many metropolitan areas, youth gangs have always had a large part in the amount of crime occurring within various problem areas of Brisbane. Such violence has prompted the Queensland Commissioner to reactivate a Youth Gang Taskforce.^[5]

See also

• Crime in Australia

References

1. ^ http://www.nhwannerley12.com/Publication27.pdf
2. ^ http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/southeast-queensland-crime-hot-spots-revealed/story-e6freon6-1225840209569
3. ^ ^{a b c} Fraser, Kelmeny (2008-09-10). "Train station assault figures revealed". City News. http://city-news.whereilive.com.au/news/story/train-station-assault-figures-revealed/. Retrieved 2008-09-21. 
4. ^ Nowell, Laurie (2008-09-21). "Melbourne city losing war against heroin". Herald Sun. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,,24377476-2862,00.html. Retrieved 2008-09-21. 
5. ^ . http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24128705-952,00.html. ^{[dead link]}