29palms

I have just been reading the AGE newspaper online and one of the headlines was that there has been an explosion of violence within the city recently involving knives. There was 4 murders this week alone around the city and an apparent number of unprovoked attacks as well.
I was reading the " Have your say " on the matter and the general comment was that the city is experiencing an upturn in incedents involving knives by gangs who want to protect themselves. Also a lot of comments were that people were starting to feel more unsafe than they used to and would rather
take the car short journeys to where they would once walk.
I know the media tends to hype things up a bit and it is a big city so these kinds of problems are expected as in the UK, but do people over there generally feel safe in Melbourne and its suberbs???
As it was voted the worlds most Liveable City a few years back I am sure nothing much could have changed in that time.
As I will be moving to Melbourne in May I was just a bit concerned that I was moving to a city where you have to watch where you are going or may feel uneasy in a lot of the more popular areas. Granted all big cities have problems but I was hoping that and thoughout (I am sure it is) Melbourne was generally a safe city.
How do people feel on this

jib

Get ready, for the Bulldust

thebears

Would it not be reasonable to assume that if a place is safe any dramatic event ie a series of stabbings (being abnormal for the city) would reach the headlines?.

Sure there may be some no go areas in the future but isnt there in any city?

touchingcloth

Seems very safe compared to what I've read about the number of murders in Sydney over the past couple of months!

mackinnon

Safe is a state of mind.

I feel safe in Glasgow, but then I can handle myself, so I feel safe in most places.

29palms

Is there anyone Living in Melbourne with any comments on this??

Scotty123

TANK

Lord Pom Percy

Most of those stabbing murders were domestic disputes, someone stabbed his parents in laws to death after an argument, but one stabbing murder apeeared to be a random attack on some people on the street , l think the guy was mentally ill. The crime rate in Melbourne is less then Sydney.
There are around 250 murders a year in OZ out of a population of 20 million.

Grayling

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117...9-1243,00.html

G

Vash the Stampede

Yes, in fact it was all so terribly unsafe that everybody left and moved to the 'burbs.

Melbourne has been completely emptied of human life.

Which, ironically, means that it is now safe again.

Shellfish

It's true that there has been a spate of knife attacks in the past fortnight but on the whole they are apparently down on last year. I certainly don't feel unsafe in Melbourne and would (and have) walked the streets alone. My husband and I often walk around at night. I wouldn't walk alone at night as a woman but I wouldn't do that anywhere.

Lord Pom Percy

The crime rate in OZ is falling, so Melbouren is becoming a safer place not a more dangerous place, most murders are domestic disputes or criminals killing other criminals like the recent mafia killings in Melbourne.

Ozzidoc

I grew up in Geelong til 1988, lived in Melb for 4 years (uni/work) then went to sydney for 6 yrs. I do not believe that there has been any significant change in the crime-rate - but this is obviously based on online papers i read (daily) in the uk.

For example...try oogling Hoddle street massacre.

ok, so a one off?
then again a couple of years later, some bloke did a similar thing in sydney (westfield shopping mall - think it was bankstown but cant remember).

There were always little gang stabbings/murders happening in the vietnamese community in Melb and sydney, and drive-by shootings in sydney with same group of people (and possibly other south east asians).

The most interesting thing in recent yrs is that the melb-based mafia are being caught...either that or becoming dead.


I agree with what someone else said - safety is a state of mind.

65 million

Like anywhere there are "certain" area's I'd feel uncomfortable walking around at night, but generally the city and burbs are not as bad as most UK cities.

Time for my tea break (again)!

kiwichild

I think that all cities have areas that are shady to potentially 'no go' areas. Whenever I have moved to a new city I try to suss out the spots to avoid but don't get paranoid if I find I have to go there (say to buy a car).

I think the thing is to make sure you become aware of trouble areas and times that r more challenging (night time during weekends etc), and to become a bit streetsmart.

Don't get paranoid but practice safe methods like, dont walk down isolated streets late at night,stick where the crowds are. Park your car in a well lit area where people walk by or secure car park. Know before u go out at night(if drinking) where the local secure taxi stands are (ones that have a security guy on duty). Try to have others with u if u go out at night. Try not to ride trains, trams busues late at night by yourself. Buy and carry in ur purse some pepper (capsicum spray) its legal here.