Sydney assaults have increased outside lockout areas, report shows

  • Published
    Mon, Mar 6, 2017, 08:19
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  • Statistics indicate violence has been displaced, rather than eradicated, by the controversial laws.
  • Sydney assaults have increased outside lockout areas, report shows image
  • A new report has found that assaults in Sydney have risen in areas adjacent to the city's lockout precincts, suggesting the laws may be displacing, rather than wholly reducing, violence. The latest study of the lockout laws' effects by the Bureau Of Crime Statistics And Research (BOCSAR) has, for the first time, shown a marked increase in violent assaults—around 12 percent—in city-adjacent areas like Surry Hills and The Star casino in Pyrmont, as well as a 17 percent increase in Newtown, Bondi and Double Bay. These areas, which are free of the laws' curfews, have experienced a surge in nighttime activity since lockouts were introduced in 2014, while inner-city nightlife hub Kings Cross has seen a 49 percent drop in assaults—at the cost of vast amounts of foot traffic. BOCSAR's report states the new statistics show "evidence for geographical displacement of assaults to areas immediately adjacent to the Kings Cross and Sydney CBD areas" as well as suburbs within "easy reach" of the city, though it reminds of the reductions in the CBD and Kings Cross, concluding that "there was a net reduction in violence during the 32-month post-reform period." Bureau director Don Weatherburn commented on the outcome of the report, saying "there's no doubt, even if you look at the transport data, that the number of people going to Kings Cross has dropped dramatically" and "at 32 months there are definite upswings in the number of assaults occurring in the area immediately surrounding the lockout precincts," admitting that the full impacts of the laws are still yet to be seen. Jenny Leong MP, the Member for Newtown and NSW Greens spokesperson on nighttime culture and economy, says BOCSAR's findings confirmed the community's fears that the laws would only displace violence to nearby suburbs. She also said "a more collaborative response is what's needed" rather than "the hard-line, blanket response of lockouts" which "hasn't stopped the drunken dickheads." Anti-lockouts movement Keep Sydney Open echoed the sentiment via Facebook, saying the report "is consistent with all the anecdotal evidence that has come in over the last three years." The polarising laws were relaxed by 30 minutes at the beginning of this year following an independent review, meaning last entry and last drinks could be extended to 2 AM and 3:30 AM respectively for live entertainment venues, subject to application. The first few successful venues have trickled out over recent weeks, with The World Bar, Stonewall and the ArtHouse Hotel all now able to operate under the newly adjusted times.
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