Judge slams excessive drinking, drugs and violence at Melbourne clubs:
Just how dangerous is Melbourne?
For everyone hoping to enjoy themselves at the bars in downtown Melbourne, take notice. The first article outlines an incident that occurred in June, where a teenager was stabbed by a promoter for a bar who had been drinking and taking ecstasy. The piece talks about the judge's ruling on the stabbing case, and how licensed-establishments should be held more accountable for what happens inside their doors. The second article discusses the rising, real or perceived, levels of violence in Melbourne. It looks at data on the number of robberies, assaults and homicides at Melbourne, in relation to other cities, primarily in the U.S. The results were mixed, but it appears that assaults are higher in Australia. Analysts are pointing at the misuse of alcohol for a possible reason why assaults have increased, especially in the streets. I think it will be interesting to see the nightlife firsthand while we are there, and hopefully we will enjoy it without compromising our safety.
I was prompted by these articles to check some crime stats on Melbourne. I found a couple of semi-useful links that list Melbourne as a whole
ReplyDeletehttp://www.police.vic.gov.au/content.asp?Document_ID=782
and
http://myboot.com.au/3000/Melbourne/graphic-chart/victoria-crime-statistic.aspx
Though what I would really be more interested in knowing is what the crime rates are in specific areas of Melbourne, but there doesn't seem to be a reliable source for this.
http://iguide.travel/Melbourne/Safety
ReplyDeleteI found this site that talks about safety in Melbourne. It iterates that Melbourne, like any city, requires standard safety procedures and caution. It's nice though because this article gives specific information about areas in Melbourne (not exactly the rates you were looking for Jacob, but it does talk about what kinds of things you can possibly encounter in certain areas). Some info tips I think we all should know:
"Stay in Safety Zones while on stations at night. These are marked with yellow lines and are usually well lit and have emergency buttons as well as about 4 cameras pointed at the area. Robbery does happen on the train system, especially at night, though, this kind of occurance is rare. Railway police patrol most services"
"Melbourne City Council has also recently established all-night "Safe City" taxi ranks with security guards on King Street, outside Flinders Street Station and on Bourke Street."
The source is from a travel website, http://iguide.travel/Melbourne/Safety. I don't know whether this information is based off of news or traveller input. The website has pages for even more specific locations within Melbourne.