Crime Rates throughout Australia - choose a safe neighbourhood

Australia is generally a very safe country, with a low crime rate, political stability and a harmonious society, but data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows that during the 2009/10 financial year, police took action against 375,259 people, up by 4.8 per cent from 2008/09 figures. Young offenders aged 10 to 19, comprised about 29 per cent of the total offender population across Australia.



In the 2009/10 financial year, 84,100 women had police action taken against them across Australia, up by six per cent compared with the previous year. In the same year, 290,400 men had police action taken against them, an annual increase of 4 per cent. About 30 per cent of the women were accused of theft, whereas the most common principal offence for men was intention to cause injury and matters related to public order. The facts and statistics mentioned above all indicate that the neighbourhood where you live is becoming an increasingly important factor to consider nowadays.

Your state government will usually have a web site where you can research the local area and/or suburb you are considering moving to and choose from a range of offences and crimes to see where it stands statistically. You can see which crimes are most common in the area and how that particular area relates to the state in general. This is an excellent tool for identifying suburbs or neighbourhoods that are safer or less susceptible to crime than others.



When you are considering moving to a new neighbourhood, talking to locals is a good idea for many reasons. These people are your potential neighbours, so speaking with them will give you an indication of what it would be like to live in the area and they can advise you as to what security precautions they take and whether or not there is an existing neighbourhood watch scheme. There are certain things you can only know about a place by actually living there, which means that local residents are the best source of reliable and accurate knowledge about the area. They may also have tips and advice in terms of how to approach security in your own home.



Moving to a neighbourhood with a lower crime rate is a choice many people make in order to protect their home, belongings and family. You certainly don’t want to be ordering a window replacement because of constant burglaries or vandalism, but no matter where you live there are many actions that you can take to enhance your safety.



Isla Campbell writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.