Surprise, Surprise: Sydney’s Lockout Laws Led To Increased Assaults Outside Of Kings Cross
Maybe it's just a coincidence?
There has been a significant uptick in the number of assaults in areas just outside the Sydney lockout zone, according to new figures that will provide further ammunition to opponents of the controversial legislation.
The latest report from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) “found 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 those areas.
Ultimo, Surry Hills and the Star Casino in Pyrmont have experienced a 12 per cent rise in violence, while suburbs such as Double Bay, Bondi and Newtown have seen a 17 per cent rise.
The latest data appears to contradict earlier figures that didn’t show an increase in the number of assaults in suburbs like Newtown. Despite the fact Newtown had become a much more popular nightlife spot after the lockout laws were introduced, official data hadn’t demonstrated violence had been displaced, until now.
Despite this troubling news, BOCSAR found that the number of assaults was still down overall, with a 49 per cent drop off in Kings Cross along with a 13 per cent drop off in the CBD. However the bureau also warned that it “cannot be assumed” that the downward trend would be continue.
The report is based on more than two and a half years of data and will be released in full today.
In a post on Facebook this morning, the team at Keep Sydney Open wrote that the news about violence being pushed into areas outside the lockout zone was “consistent with all the anecdotal evidence that has come in over the last three years”.
“It’s time to rethink these terrible laws,” they said.
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h/t The Sydney Morning Herald. Feature image via Keep Sydney Open.