Hindley Street crime data prompts push for more police in Adelaide
Posted
The SA Opposition wants the police presence in Adelaide's CBD to be boosted following the release of figures that show Hindley Street remains a hotspot for violence, especially on weekends.
A police briefing paper compared streets in Adelaide's west end with other CBD zones for crimes including assault, sexual assault, aggravated robbery, threatening behaviour and drug offences.
"Analysis of various data sets, augmented by intelligence analysis, has identified the area ... to have a heightened risk to public order and safety," the report stated.
The document was prepared for Attorney-General John Rau around the time Hindley Street became a declared public precinct in November, giving police greater powers.
"Persons using the public space within the 'City West' area between 6:00pm and 6:00am each Friday and Saturday are at least twice as likely to be victims of offences against the person and good order," the briefing stated.
"[They are] three times as likely to be exposed to behaviour not in keeping with normal community standards ... than any other time of week."
The paper was obtained by Opposition police spokesman Stephan Knoll under Freedom of Information.
It showed the crime rate in the area tends to peak before lockout laws come into effect at 3:00am, prompting Mr Knoll to question their effectiveness.
"The crime that's happening is actually happening earlier on in the evening and it's happening on our streets rather than inside licensed venues," he said.
"The only way to tackle that is to have an increased police presence so that we can get at the heart of the problem and deal with the idiots undertaking bad behaviour."
The Government defended its handling of the crime scourge on Hindley Street, with Police Minister Chris Picton insisting the lockout laws were having a positive impact.
"They are an important element in terms of preventing what used to happen, which was very late at night, people going from club to club," he said.
"The police say that [the laws] are making a difference and I think it's very disturbing that the Opposition are dismissing what the police are saying."
Topics: crime-prevention, crime, police, adelaide-5000, sa
