marcpiano

With yet another murder last night (and yet another serious assault in one of the nightclubs I was working) I'm interested to hear of ExPats perceptions of the crime rate in Perth?

Working security/nightclubs it's stayed pretty much constant in terms of low-level disorder since I started working in the industry, but the violent crime and murder rate has shot up in my perception even in the year and a half or so I've been back here.

Went back to the UK for a couple of weeks and my friends there still had the misconception of Perth being some sort of crime-free utopia and were quite taken aback when I told them the real story.

So interested to hear the views of those who live here now on the crime rate and how it's affected them, if at all. Also interested on hearing the views of those yet to move here but considering it.

Nu-Shooz

Yes, very worrying. Everyday brings more murders, muggings, etc...i know it is everywhere, but what concerns me is the soon to be expats in UK who rattle on about the crime in UK and that they can't wait to get away from it.
It does seem to be getting worse in Perth. Not sure about the other states, but is it because there are more immigrants in Perth???
I for one have not settled in Perth very well and the more i hear stories like this, the more i realise maybe this place is not so great afterall.

marcpiano

I actually preferred Manchester - I was assaulted once in the entire time I was there (3 years) and that was on duty as a police officer. Never off duty.

Been assaulted more times than I care to count here in security and numerous times off-duty too. Usually in unprovoked attacks by the natives, two of whom were responsible for last nights murder according to reports. God bless 'em.

Nu-Shooz

I was shocked to hear about that poor guy who got battered with a cricket bat on Christmas day, he died!!

aston man

this works for me try it...

go through life not givin a shit what goes on around you,i dont read the papers ,dont watch the news...

seriously ,what crime...?

northernbird

The crime here doesn't affect me. I am under no illusion that crap happens here but its impact on me and mine daily is NIL so I don't suppose I am bothered. However you have to remember that Perth is a city the size of probably Leeds, Metro Manchester and Bristol put together so I dare say crime is going to happen and probably on a par with the cumulative total of those 3 cities.

Dorothy

aaaaaaaaaaaa (typed by my cat)



Anyway, I'm with NB here. Crime happens no matter where you live. Those who think of Australia as some sort of crime free utopia are either delusional or in a state of denial.

asprilla

There do seem to be far more horror stories in the news than you would expect given that the WA population isn't that high. Couldn't believe that a guy was murdered on the beach the other day, first thing that jumped into my mind was "I bet thats in WA".

But I'm 99% sure that I have a misconception, and crime is pretty evenly spread throughout Oz.

worzel

Just a bit of perspective here. There is a bit of violence outside pubs late at night, as there is anywhere. In the UK it often involves guns and knives (fists don't even get reported any more) while here a "real man" (I use that term advisedly) still uses his fists. There seem to be a lot of "king hits" - one punch that was unprovoked that often leads to head trauma and death but I can't help wonder whether there was really some words exchanged to provoke it, not that it is excusable. So if you don't go out 'til 3am, wind people up and generally look for trouble you won't find it unless you are really unlucky. There often seems to be aboriginals involved too which may have something to do with them being treated like animals or maybe their inability to cope with grog or a Western lifestyle. I have to admit though, Perth attracts the title of the "wild west" and it is not totally unwarranted. Drinking to excess seems even more of a problem here than the UK. Popular culture almost encourages it though.

But crime that most people are likely to experience like house and car break ins or vandalism seem much much less in my experience here compared to the UK. Our suburb gets one break in every few weeks per the local paper - how many in the UK can say that?

You can (and people often do) leave houses and cars unlocked. We went to a theme park yesterday and left chairs, bags, cameras, glasses, loose change on the grass while we went on the rides and they were still there when we got back.

Pollyana

But then look at the guy in rural Queensland who was smashed in the fac with a crowbar for no reason except that he was in the wrong house at the wrong time,and all he wanted to do was buy a kitten.
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=501887

Issie

The World is becoming a much violent place these days so why should Perth be any different. Any city brings crime , i live 20 minutes from Liverpool , with shooting being reported on a weekly basis. Only about 10 years ago....shooting where practically unheard of unless they were i America. Life is getting to be a pretty tough place now days.

rockpeblar

We lived in Plymouth and were burgled twice in our previous house. Only after we installed an alarm did they stop. Also had a couple of attempted break-ins on our cars. We lived next to a park and every year they would torch the park benches and smash out the street lights and this was one of the better parts of Plymouth.
The violence on Union Street was pretty bad that they now have a field hospital set up at weekends to deal with the victims.


So far we've only seen graffiti and some arson attacks on vehicles in and around the hills. Yes there are one or two house burglaries/week/suburb but there probably are back in the UK. On the whole I'd say we 'feel' safer over here.

Nu-Shooz

I'd be pretty horrified if there were one or two burgalries a week on my street
I don't think there have been any, as far as i know, since i have lived on this street.
I have left the garage door fully open by accident afew times and nothing has gone missing.
I do feel safe where i am, but i felt save where i lived in UK.

ktyler1961

Do you work in Northbridge ? That place is just about the only place where people can go out at the weekend where there are a a reasonable concentration of bars, clubs and restaurants. So you get a big melting pot of varying human lifeforms down there at the same time, most OK, but lots of scum. Give it ten years mate and it will make places like Manchester or Liverpool look like a fairy cake baking competition at the Womens Institute.
I had to knock out a few of those naive, mouthy Ozzie knob heads just so I could continue walking down James Street.
Move to Darwin kid. They call a spade a spade up here.

bstardo

total rubbish that and you know it.