Crime in King Cross in Sydney - Literature review Example

CRIME IN KING CROSS IN SYDNEY Name Course Tutor Date Introduction Kings Cross has been for a long time famous among the Australians as the red light as well as the drug capital of Australia. For those visiting Sydney at one time or the other, they have wandered in the streets of Kings Cross. In the recent past this part of Sydney has gradually evolved into a rich neighborhood. There are many strip clubs, adult bookshops, and vulgar nightclubs that are active at night. Additionally, there are many restaurants and cafes that attract different types of people (Sydney.com.au, 2014). In this same city the rate of crime is very high, especially at night, there is mugging in the streets, and there are spruikers as well outside the clubs that act aggressively and are intimidating; they have been the source of anarchy in the area in the recent past (Sydney.com.au, 2014). However, not all the areas have been too bad for people to enjoy; there are hotspots where the rates of assault and associated crimes have taken root. This area is famous for its traditional fame for artistic, wild, deviant and party lifestyles (Sydney.com.au, 2014). This paper will discuss the causes, effects and solutions of crimes in King Cross Sydney. Causes of Crime in King Cross The body charged with the research of crime statistics in Sydney is the National South Whales Bureau of Crime Statistics. Weather burn (2001) asserts that criminologists claim that there is no cause of crime. He further argues that the causes of crime are complex and most publications will not have succinct information about the topic itself. Weather burn (2001) classifies the causes of crime into distal and proximate. Proximate causes are those that precede the criminal behavior while the former refers to those causes that are remote though not least important in perpetrating a criminal activity (Weatherburn, 2001). For instance, economic stress is distal while weak parent-child relationship is an ideal example of a proximate cause. The major cause of violent crimes in Kings Cross is drug and alcohol abuse (Weatherburn, 2001). The drugs that are mostly abused in Kings Cross include heroin and other amphetamines as well as alcohol that are accounted for by the large number of clubs and nightclubs that are full of life at night (Donnelly & Snowball, 2006). Males are highly likely to commit crime compared to their female counterparts. The recent Australian studies indicate that the ratio of likelihood of a male committing crime to a female is 2:1 (Donnelly & Snowball, 2006). However, males and females in their early teenage and late adolescence have the tendency to commit crime. This is the case with Kings Cross most of the kids consume liquor and end up being a menace to the streets (NSW Government, 2014). There have been cases of child prostitution due to the prevalence of drugs and alcohol and weak family relationships. Homelessness could also be another cause that can be attributed to the rising crimes in Kings cross. Young et al (2006) attributes the rise in crime in the area to the high number of homeless individuals in the town. As a result of this, the people engage in begging illegal sex work and street drinking. Additionally, the people also engage in petty thefts like snatching and pick pocketing so as to get money to sustain their lifestyles (NSW Government, 2014). The inner area is so rampant with such actions that the rate of crime in that area is high. The prostitutes on the street are not only sex workers, but also drug distributors (Snowball, Burgess, & Fitzgerald, 2010). Young et al (2006) asserts that the prostitutes deal in drugs such as crack and heroin. The hotspots for the drug trade are Kings Cross Underground, mainline, Thames Link and St. Pancaras. The demographics of the drug users and thus criminals is that they are homeless, most describe themselves as white British and have an average age of 35 years. There are also a high number of unemployed people in the region (Young et al, 2006). This is because most of the people in the region fall in the category of semi-skilled and unskilled positions thus their income is also not able to sustain their families (Snowball, Burgess, & Fitzgerald, 2010). Unemployment and unstable income attribute to the rise of crime due to the working individuals as well as those in pension (Snowball, Burgess, & Fitzgerald, 2010). Studies connect drug usage to psychological disorders and mental as well as physical health problems that make crime the only best solution to such problems (NSW Government, 2014). The people are homeless and thus poor, they resolve to home theft, mugging and pick pocketing so as to get money to buy drugs and alcohol since they cannot afford to stay sober. Snowball and Donnelly (2006) attribute the rise of crime to the availability of cocaine. Such crime includes robbery with or without a firearm as well as robbery with weapons other than firearms, though they pronounce this to be transient (Snowball, Burgess, & Fitzgerald, 2010). Due to the social exclusion of men and women there is chaotic family life, the population most of which are poor opt for the streets where they can make easy money from criminal activities (Snowball, Burgess, & Fitzgerald, 2010). Effects of Crime in Kings Cross There have been a high number of deaths recorded in the area attributed to the crimes. Some of the people have been killed during robbery yet still others died when robbing. This as a result could reduce the economic potential of the town considered that the individuals are tax payers (Weatherburn, 2001). There are instances where the train stations have had to be closed when there is chaos in the streets. Secondly, the crime has also raised the spending or budget of the police to combat such crimes in the area. This greatly eats into the revenue that can be used to do other things that are developmentally oriented. Despite the large number of restaurants in the area, tourists have also been shy of visiting the area (NSW Government, 2014). Obviously, when someone is planning to visit an area, security tops their list of preferences. Additionally, investors are also shy to invest in such areas unless there are prospects that the security of their assets will be ensured (NSW Government, 2014). There are also social as well as material costs that have come handy with crime in Kings Cross. The businesses are not doing well as a result of the crimes, including property breaching and mugging. The economy of the city cannot go past nigh hours since most of the residents fear for their security (Young et al, 2006). Due to drug use and prostitution the number of people who are ailing from HIV and other STIs has also increased correspondingly. This is because they often use the same needle (Young et al, 2006). Solutions to Crime in Kings Cross There has been a number of eradicative methods put forth to combat crime in Kings Cross. The first significant approach was the introduction of lock out laws that has seen an exponential reduction in crime, especially savage assaults in the nightspots (Ralston & Koziol, 2014). These laws were and are meant to mitigate alcohol driven violence following the number of deaths that accrued as a result of such heinous acts of drinking. The laws state that patrons are to be locked out after 1 am and beer should not be served to any individual, whoever they are after 3 am (Ralston & Koziol, 2014). Even though this harms the shopkeepers and the bar waiters and waitresses, it is the only best way available to combat crime in the area (NSW Government, 2014). There is also an additional ban of 48 hours to people who cause chaos and confusion in the town. There have been local initiatives to help regenerate the area. This includes operation Welwyn which serves as a community policing program funded by the Kings Cross Partnership and Camden Community Safety team (NSW Government, 2014). There have also been a number of initiatives dabbed different names depending on who was funding them and their purpose. The areas that were populated by drug dealers and prostitutes are also being manned by CCTV cameras and are also well lit. Additionally, the housing estates have been reinforced with metallic gates and security doors (NSW Government, 2014). The introduction of the Medically Supervised Injecting Center (MISC) in 2001 has led to a decline in the abuse of cocaine and heroin as well as amphetamines and other drugs. This also monitors the drug dependents and rehabilitates them from addiction (Snowball, Burgess, & Fitzgerald, 2010). Snowball, Burgess, & Fitzgerald (2010) indicate that the sum total of the MISC program, has been reduced number of drug dependent population, increased access to medical treatment, reduction of crime, and reduced destruction of public amenities due to drug induced psychological and mental disorders (Snowball, Burgess, & Fitzgerald, 2010). Additionally, there has been the need to emancipate the residents of Kings Cross on the negative effects of drugs and how they can come off it. The MISC program is also backed up with the “move on “direction that targets the drug traffickers so as to keep drugs access at bay. The police engage in direct community consultations where the staff gets feedback from the community (Snowball, Burgess, & Fitzgerald, 2010). From these consultations the police wing is able to map the region and act promptly in mitigating the crime or averting it before it really happens. The police also conduct safety audits in order to identify the causes of the rise in insecurity (Snowball, Burgess, & Fitzgerald, 2010). With this data the intelligence is shared with other responsible agencies so that quick and prompt actions are taken to reduce crime in the area (Darcy, 2003). The police are also having initiatives that lure the youth barring them from committing crime (Darcy, 2003). Additionally, the club bouncers and security personnel are also trained to deal with criminals should they attack in their areas of jurisdiction. The number of police patrols and patrol units has also been beefed up in the area (Darcy, 2003). Conclusion Kings Cross has for long had a bad history in the annals of history. The rate of crime had risen in the area. Some of the causes of crime in the area include homelessness, drug use, poverty, unstable income and social seclusion as well as weak family ties. The most common crimes in the area include handling of stolen property, drug dealing, prostitution and loitering, malicious damage, robbery with violence, mugging, begging and rough sleeping. There have been economical and social impacts in the area. However, there are eradicative initiatives taken by the local communities, the government and the police to eradicate as well as combat crime. Currently, the crime rate in the town has reduced significantly, luring investors and tourists in the area. Bibliography Darcy, D 2003, The Highs and Lows of Dealing with Disorder - The Kings Cross Police Experience, Retrieved from http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/conferences/2003-graffiti/darcy.pdf Donnelly, N & Snowball, L 2006, Recent Trends in Property and Drug Related Crimes in Kings Cross, Retrieved from http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/agdbasev7wr/bocsar/documents/pdf/cjb105.pdf NSW Government 2014, Recent trends in property and drug-related crime in Kings Cross - Bureau of Crime Stats And Research New South Wales, Retrieved from http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/bocsar/bocsar_mr_cjb105.html Ralston, N & Koziol, M 2014, September 3. Lock-out laws reduce violence, drunkenness in Sydney and Kings Cross: police, Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/lockout-laws-reduce-violence-drunkenness-in-sydney-and-kings-cross-police-20140903-10bxgo.html Snowball, L., Burgess, M & Fitzgerald, J 2010, October 8, Trends in property and illicit drug crime around the Medically Supervised Injecting Centre in Kings Cross: An update | Australian Policy Online. Retrieved from http://apo.org.au/research/trends-property-and-illicit-drug-crime-around-medically-supervised-injecting-centre-kings-0 Sydney.com.au. 2014, Kings Cross: Sydney: sydney.com.au. Retrieved from http://www.sydney.com.au/kingsx.htm Weatherburn, D 2001, February, What Causes Crime? Retrieved from http://www.olsc.nsw.gov.au/agdbasev7wr/bocsar/documents/pdf/cjb54.pdf Young, T., Hallsworth, S., Jackson, E & Lindsey, J 2006, Crime Displacement in Kings Cross, Retrieved from http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/cms-service/stream/asset/King%27s%20Cross%20Report.pdf?asset_id=1373042 Read More