Perth Crime - Truth ????

[Almost Aussie]

Hi to all the ex-pats already in Perth,

We're heading for Perth in probably March 2008 (waiting for 457 visa approval).

I've started to read the Perth papers on-line and found a disturbing article from the Sunday Times in Sept 2007 about the Perth crime levels. They did a survey from 2000 readers. The biggest concern was the road rage, safety in malls and anywhere at night.

Did they pick the "wrong" 2000 people to do the survey or is this reallity ?

We all know why the majority of us leave SA, but this article has put doubts in my mind.

Any comments (negative/positive) please !!!

[wendy]

I think they did. If your not from South-africa you really have no idea what these things are. Here young people en old age people go for a stroll at dawn. On halloween you see kids from a very young age (about 5 or 6) collecting candy when dark. You never hear n hooter from a car. I have been here just over 2 months and have not heard one once. People stop at a zebracrossing for the pedestrians to walk. In South-Africa you will never see that happen unless you force them. It might not be the best kins of wording to use but the people here are civilized.

Just friday afternoon I lost my bank card. You can imagine my stresslevels. This was between 2:30 and about 4:00. After searching through everything I phoned the hotline to cancel it. After the lady took al my details she said that I do not have to worry because someone already phoned and said they picked it up at the shopping centre and they automatically put a hold on the card. They will reissue me with a new one this week.

Here they do have their problems but it's nothing compared to a country at war with itself (South-Africa).

[Guest Bronwyn]

There is crime in Australia. Nowhere near the levels of crime in South Africa. You cannot even compare the two situations.

But for some reason no-one wants to admit it or talk about crime in Australia. 40 people have read your post already and there was only one response. It seems like a strange head-in-the-sand attitude.

Every time I have brought up the question on the forum there has been no response either. I just find it strange, that's all. I doubt very much they picked the 'wrong' 2000 people to survey.

Bronwyn

Edited November 17, 2007 by Bronwyn

[Karen]

I would guess that new immigrants do not want to talk about crime because it is probably so negligible compared to the crime they left behind them in SA. The reduction in what they left the home country for, is not something they wish to harp on or make an issue of. It's minor in their new lives and the situation is way, way better for them and they feel more secure in their adopted land.

Remember that there simply is no crime- free Utopia. Wherever there are humans, there will be deviant ones. What matters is the degree of criminality and the efficacy of the law makers and keepers.

Edited November 18, 2007 by Karen

[Enrica]

No land is paradise. Every city/country has crime....but here in Perth/Oz all crimes petty or not are

are reported. Something as simple as a head light cover being nicked in the shopping centre becomes a statistic. The way a NORMAL society should operate.

Road rage........compared to the level of rage in RSA...what a joke some one flashing you the finger...thats the level of road rage in Perth. Would you in South Africa call that Road Rage?

There is crime, but not the level of violence that exsisit in RSA....

As you are all aware they dont have anywhere near the amount of fire arms that you have in RSA

legal or not.

Here they hold you up with a screw driver ,that is armed robbery and considered violent - the chances are that you will not loose your life.

So I think that you need to all take a deep breath and realise that this is a normal society and crime that we as ex saffirs consider laughable are actually reported and you know the best thing? Something is actually done about it.

Thats my 10cents worth on the subject of crime

[wendy]

http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/D3310114.nsf/Home/Links

Have a look at the statistics.

Wendy

[Queensland Girl]

Hi Guys

I think that most people dont answer to this thread because CRIME SA and CRIME Aus are just so different.

The Crime that that has an effect on my life here would sound so petty to an average South African who faces unmentionable fear daily.

My crime concerns:

Teen parties that get gate crashed by young random thugs looking for a fight.

Gangs from the wrong side of the tracks cruising around Surfers looking for trouble.

Crime I have encountered in the last 6 years:

We live in a gated Golf Course Estate so household theft is unknown.

We have had a theft at my husband's business premises and it was an "inside" job.

We had a car window smashed and a bag stolen from a parkade in Coffs Harbour.

I have never ever felt the heart stopping fear that I exprienced in SA. I drive into Surfers at 2 am in the morning and I have never even felt uneasy.

[Almost Aussie]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and giving me the Oz definitions of crime. I do feel reliefed now and can't wait to get there !!!

Your guys are great !!!

[Guest Bronwyn]

We are in Adelaide, not Perth. But I wanted to say that you must still be vigilant. We got a letter around from the school last week asking the moms not to leave their handbags in the car and go into the school, as 'another window has been smashed and handbag stolen'. Exactly the same letter we were getting in Pretoria. I suppose it's better than a hijacking.

The guy that sat next to me at work got burgled about 3 weeks ago in the middle of the day. They got in through a bedroom window and took all their electronic stuff. At least it didn't happen while they were home.

I left my front door open the other day while I was cleaning the house and a computer repair guy arrived and cr@pped me out from a dizzy height, saying I am mad and it is totally unsafe. He is an Aussie and has never been out of the country. From now on I keep the door closed while I clean the house.

About a week ago some guys came around with a screwdriver and stole the badge off the back of my car with a torch (I spotted them during the night). So now I have to buy a new badge. But at least I didn't get stabbed with a screwdriver.

There are a few assaults and rapes at night if you walk around alone, but you have to be a bit carefull and stay with a friend. Don't run around in deserted parking lot staircases alone unless you have no choice.

The difference here is the people that attack will usually be dangerous bikies, druggies or plain mad , it's not hate crimes.

That is the difference between crime in SA and Aus, in my view.

Bronwyn

[Overtaker]

ok, so I haven't lived in the big dangerous cities, but from my experience Perth is no different to where I stayed in RSA. There seems to be just as much theft, murders, armed roberies, hijackings, in fact maybe even more here in Perth than what I was used to.

[The Parsons Family]

There is crime in Perth !!!!

In Jo'burg I used to hide my handbag in the boot, yield at red traffic lights (at night), double/triple check all the doors in the house were locked before going to bed, I wouldn't walk the dogs alone during the day never mind at night etc.....

Here I can go for a walk in the early evening alone without fear, I drive at night by myself with the doors unlocked, I have managed to spend a few nights without noticing the laundry door was not locked, I still am wary when drawing money but I am happy to go to a deserted parking lot at the shopping centre at night to do it, I am still careful and so I should be

No matter where in the world you go there will always be someone there to see an opportunity and take advantage, the difference is that here the police respond when you call them, they come and take fingerprints and/or DNA and the criminal will more than likely be apprehended. I have heard a few stories from people who have been broken into here (about 3) and the thief is usually caught.

As for Road Rage... it is here and it happens. In the year that I have been here I have had two incidents where someone shouted at me and gave me the finger. Once they had that off their chest it was over, I have not encountered anything more serious...in SA I had people try to ram my car, follow me home, throw things at the car etc.

The people surveyed here would more than likely be people who have lived here for many years and have seen a gradual increase in the levels of crime, but their interpretation of a serious crime is very different to a South African's interpretation.

With all that said I have never felt the intense fear that I felt every day in SA in the year that I have been here

Cheers

Gaille

[LOMA]

Hi There Queensland Girl,

It is great to hear how different it would be for us, when we emigrate. Thank goodness for this. I am so sick and tired of sitting at work and worrying about my kids safety at school and at home in the afternoons.

From Loma (only in the starting process of emigrating)

[Lindy-Lee]

A few months ago we were rushing to fetch one of the girls from school. Hubby put baby in car seat and off we went. Got her at school came back home and all is well. no problems. About 5 minutes after we got home the phone rings and this guy asks to speak to my husband (asked by name). So he chats on phone and comes back laughing

Apperently hubby had put his wallet on the car's roof when he was busy strapping baby in...and forgot it there!!! This guy had picked it up in the road with about $80-100 flying around in the road as well, about 2km from our house.

He apologised for looking through my husbands wallet to get any details of the owner.

We got it all back including all the cash that was in there........ It's great living in Australia. And he wouldn't take anything as a thank you not even a case of beer

Now do you really think that would have happened in good old SA????? I don't think so

Yes there is crime in Perth but nothing close to SA. I can still let my two girls go to the park on their own. My front door and gate is NEVER locked...how rude if somebody decides to visit and it's locked and all our friends know it by now. Even though hubby still locks everything

Lindy-Lee

[Nicki G]

Hi there

I think to fool ourselves into thinking there is no crime and all will be well is a bit of Ostrich Syndrome. No matter where you go there it will be. I think what is important is the nature of the crime. Violent crime is inevitable here, if you are robbed there are horrendous things that usually accompany that, so keep an oen mind and know that there will always be crime but how efficiently is it dealt with, what are the chances that the perp will be caught etc.

A story I must share, a friend immigrated to NZ, and a few weeks after being there his car was broken into. All his tools for work, passport, papers etc were stolen, he phoned my hubby and could not believe after leaving for no crime or at least limited this had happened. Anyway the next day he gets a call from the police to say they have found the goods, all intact and nothing missing, he went to the cops at 16H30, to find them closed as they do not have to stay open after hours, he got it all back.

The point I am making is efficiency in dealing with the crime

Grief that was long winded, sorry if I bored you and you had to skim over it to get the jist

Nicki

[bubbly]

Yes, there is definately also crime in Australia, and you must be aware of this, the scary part I find is that in South Africa you can pick out the bad guys but here you don't know who is good and who is bad.

I've been in Adelaide since 2003 and what can I say after two weeks of being here our number plate was stolen off our car, a week later a few of my clothing items were stolen from the washline, yes I was mad it was my favourite pair of jeans and favourite sweaters too.

Last summer, my son and his friend had all their belongings stolen at the beach = sunglasses, mobiles, money. watches and car keys. The boys thought it was so safe here and I admit they were a bit negligant with their belongings. There are criminals that actually target the beach front, watch people and then make there move. Please watch your belongings at all times.

A few days after the incident at the beach, my son woke up to find that all 4 tyres of his car had been slashed with a knife. The poor kid had to replace all 4 tyres. This is what teenagers do for fun in what is considered to be an upmarket suburb.

A week after the tyre incident, his car was broken into outside our house, they stole the cd player and jammed all locks. We had to get a locksmith which was quite expensive and the cd player has not been replaced. My son has learnt his lesson and now realises that he has to think about crime the way we used to think about crime in south africa. The first thing I said when he put the cd player in his car was that it will attract criminals and I was right. My car was not broken into once in South Africa, I suppose we were just lucky there.

A few people at my work have already had there cars stolen from our onsite parking area during working hours too.

I think most of the petty crime here is done by bored teenagers that get drunk or high and burn buildings and cars and dirt bins for fun. You will find these people in the best of suburbs too.

These days I seem to feel that the crime is increasing since we arrived, there is not that much violent crime but lots of petty crime. If you look at the size of the population here and the amount of crime, then it is actually a lot crime for the amount of people here. You will find crime wherever you go in the world.

[tarentaal]

What really gets me about the crime is that in my view it is escalating. When we first arrived here you never heard about highjackings or old people being bashed by intruders! But still it is not nearly SA's crime levels, one just hope that the authorities will step up the punishment.

[alanb]

I think Aus is a very violent society. Comparing it to Canada where I lived for 6 years or so before coming here, it was nowhere near as bad as Aus. What troubles me is the amount of bar fights and street bashings we have here. Very disturbing. As are the Hoons. Queensland has laws where they confiscate the cars for a period, I think it should be for good.

We were broken into ten days after arriving here. Not a pleasant welcome and set me back a few years, locking everything up etc. However, we go walking or biking in the mornings and evenings and we feel quite safe. My only concern is late at night when walking home from friends or the tavern, there is definitely an element here who get quite aggressive when they drink and I am always grateful we haven't encountered any yet.

I think the difference is that every day in JHB I was concerned for my life, always vigilant to avoid it being my turn. Here, as I am anywhere, I am simply cautious and I know if anything bad happens to me its just bad luck, wrong place, wrong time. Whereas in SA I guess anywhere is the wrong place and anytime could be the wrong time.

To all those coming, there is crime in Aus, as there is anywhere, but you wont believe how safe you will feel.

[Guest Seeya]

I tell all my friends, perspective, perspective, perspective.

Some of them would move to Aus too if they could, but they still make it their mission to show any 'bad news' that is displayed in RSA about Aus. I think the RSA journalists are jealous of Aus or something, which is why they often show that crime is a problem in Aus as well.

But the type of (non-violent?) crime in Aus and the fact that lots of them DO get caught makes a huge difference. Aus releases their figures on crime to the T, does RSA do that - NO!!!! So that is sometimes why the Aus crime seems like a lot, I tell them.

Worldwide, I believe, it is time again for adults to get a discipline grip on their children. We could spare ourselves lots of tears, if these children are looked after and chances for drugging etc are contained by parents.

My personal view

Seeya

[Guest Bronwyn]

Too true Seeya.

Last night I was convinced I heard a gunshot outside. The kids and I all ran to the windows at the same time. My ten-year-old said it wasn't a gunshot 'because gunshots echo'. Sad. My husband took a torch and went to see if the cars were all ok because they park in the road. No problems.

Anyway, nothing more. No action.

About an hour later when we were in bed, a woman started screaming and swearing in the street. Really shouting. I ran to the window again but couldn't see anything.

We still don't know what happened. But we had that exact scene in Edenvale about once a week, when we lived there, so we are used to it.

I know some people will think I am looking for the negative, and maybe I am. But I think it is dangerous to be complacent. Sometimes I get so angry that there are some Australians who don't realise how lucky they are to live here. They seem happy to mess it up for everyone else. They don't have any experience of true crime or violence, and take their freedom for granted. This minority is usually low socio-economic and of low intelligence.

Edited November 22, 2007 by Bronwyn

[Guest Seeya]

If I again can add my 5c worth.

What Bronwyn shared with us is the exact stories the RSA journalist thrive on, but that it is (maybe) ONE domestic violence thing by a couple who clearly 'lost their way in life', never reaches the papers. And in Aus - if they have done something wrong, they will be charged. If someone complain about this one incident - these people will be offered help.

This is, in my viewpoint, the HUGE difference, Aus being a 'sorted' society.

Seeya

[Skobbejak]

ok, so I haven't lived in the big dangerous cities, but from my experience Perth is no different to where I stayed in RSA. There seems to be just as much theft, murders, armed roberies, hijackings, in fact maybe even more here in Perth than what I was used to.

EXCUSE ME??????? What Perth are you in - Perth Scotland maybe!!!

Absolute bollocks!!

Perth has crime - there is nowhere in the world that doesn't have it. The crime in Perth is relatively petty with a small amount of serious crime ie armed robbery and home invasions. Mostof the serous crimein Perthis drug related and generally kept to the city centre area. The bikie gangs are the main culprits for gettingthe drugs in here but we already know who the main culprits for that are and there has been a marked decrease in the amount of drugs coming into Perth.

The crime statistics for Perth are much lower than most cities.

[DesV]

Crime in Perth

On monday this week i was at Perth Domestic airport, flying to Adelaide, About 15 minutes before boarding the plane I got a phonecall, ended the call, went to the bathroom went back to exit gate, finally the flight was called and I boarded, made myself comfortable, greeted my neigbour for the next 4 hours and then I saw someone telling their mate to switch off their mobile phone, good idea I thought and looked for mine, couldnt find it, checked my carry on bag no phone, I made my way to the front of the plane and told th Stewerdess that I thought I might have left my phone in the terminal, she told me for security reasons I could not leave the plane asked for the make of phone, a description and where more or less I had been sitting. I went back to my seat wondering how I was going to go about this business trip without my phone, contact numbers etc.

Just before we pulled back from the loading bay a stewerdess comes walking down the Aisle and hands me my phone.

Now tell me honestly in how many capital cities can you leave a mobile phone in a terminal building and get it retrieved 30 minutes later?

The bottom line is yes there is crime in Perth but no there is not a crime culture in Perth and that is the difference.

Des

[Skobbejak]

The bottom line is yes there is crime in Perth but no there is not a crime culture in Perth and that is the difference.

Des

Perfectlt phrased Des - I couldn't have put it better myself!!

[Rison]

I currently live in a country town and crime is mostly non-existant here. We have travelled on roads late at night with no one in sight and always felt safe. Not that feeling that if your car broke down someone will jump from a bush and attack you. You will probably get a friendly person stopping to help you. Farmers here are not violently attacked like in South Africa. The type of offences prevelent here are mostly traffic related. My worst "fear" is to make sure I travel 110 km's per hour on the roads.

It probably depends where you stay in Australia and in what area.

I just don't have that "look over your shoulder" feeling or that constant fear of possible violence. It may be different in the cities. but it will not be near South African crime stats.

[Janneman_Kie]

Hi,

I have been reading this with interest as we have just came back from a LSD trip to Perth and Sydney. Crime here in RSA is one of the main reasons people want to leave and if it is a problem in Aus then what ?

What I noticed when reading the papers in Perth was that they have nothing gory to report about. Here it is a daily headline with somebody being shot for a laptop and perhaps a celphone and wallet. Since we got beck the first paper we saw was Friday 8th with the proffie and his daugter shot up badly for a celphone, wallet and laptop. According to the article they came in through the bedroom window, shot the prof once and when he went down they ran through the house and when they encountered his daughter shot her FIVE times. She is still in the critical unit of the hospital with the docs trying ... When I picked up the paper yesterday it was about a pastor's wife of 50 odd years having her throat slit and stabbed. I did not have the guts to buy a paper today ... Saw that the murder stats is just under 20 000 people per year here in RSA. I think that figure will create chaos in Aus ??

I saw a link to some crime stats on http://www.viacorp.com/perth-suburbs-compared.html

and from there it seems that you do have burglaries and assaults. From what I heard the difference is that in Aus the guys want you to be NOT at home. In RSA they want you to be at home so that you can open the safe etc. The fact that you will most likely be shot or stabbed is the difference. I spoke to a prosecutor over the weekend and she said something about 30 burglaries PER WEEK for the Garsfontein area. Compare that to the 30 odd burglaries PER YEAR for some of the Perth suburbs. (And the benefit that it is not likely to be of a violent nature)

Do I have it wrong or what ??

cheers (and hoping the 457 goes fast !!!)

Ian