Carbery

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/...ourt-news.html


No real surprise to me - in the shopping centre where my business is there has been many break ins / robberies in the last year (including us)
My personal thoughts on why the GC is blighted - there is a get rich quick, frontier town atmosphere which combined with a 1% of the population who flaunt their wealth to the substantial underclass, very little in the jobs market, many small businesses struggling, and most importantly a massive drug problem. The Police seem overwhelmed by the size of the situation and Qld government are unwilling to increase their numbers.

DeadVim

I was speaking to some policemen the other day (no, not like that) and they were saying how bad it is getting. There is even an increasing in break-ins/scamming around here, and this isn't exactly the glitter strip.

Bugger that job for a laugh.

Economic conditions + Unemployment + Drugs isn't a good combination.

In Exile

the formula is heavily unbalanced and will only lead to increased crime. if you add "+ decent daytime TV or a games console" it occupies most of the unemployed afternoon drunks/stoners

though I'm not sure the stoners have the motivation to leave the chair and commit crimes in the first place.

DeadVim

I dunno, if you run out of snacks there could be enough motivation to raid the local corner shop.

Then again, by the time you got there it would be a struggle to work out why you left the house.

So, stoners, on balance, are OK.

Carbery

Add to that the unattainable 'glamour' of the GC to an aspirational underclass who would rather rob / steal / hold up than work..

DeadVim

There is that too.

But hey, the Commonwealth Games will fix all that

carling black label

I hear what you are saying, and in no way disputing that the way the world is, is the main driver behind crime .i.e. unemployment, lack of oppurtunity, too much time, no money, crime, drugs, end game prison......But, the media love a good story.

What is the real general feeling like on the Gold Coast, does it feel like the wild west, or is it a problem only if you look for it or live in certain pockets, .i.e. certain suburbs?

Its just there is a massive POM percentile of people living there, i ask how they feel life is going?

Carbery

The media do love exaggerate but this is a report on official figures.
I have lived & owned a business on the GC for over 5 years - dont get me wrong, we love our life here but IMO there is a general unethical attitude in the way business is conducted, a large drug problem, and a substantial criminal underclass milking the area.
I dont think any suburb is immune to the problem but some areas are a lot worse than others.

carling black label

I ask, i was/am, maybe thinking of opening a British type pub in Surfers, was wondering whether it would be viable, beer prices seem either a big profit, a big cost, or a massive tax burden, not sure which yet?

But drugs seem to be a big problem, i guess the pushers/suppliers make a lot of money out of a highly transient population, so the non transient population suffers from all the peripheral problems associated to localised drug users..

Simba

Lets hope the new GC Police Helicopter will help make a difference.

neil248

Have a friend here on the Gold Coast from London who just laughs if you mention crime on the Gold Coast. You know more or less where its likely to be and avoid it unless you are very unlucky.

Have been back in sleepy county town of Shrewsbury UK for three days and a guy is stabbed to death.

carling black label

Crime, would not put me off living on the Gold Coast, not one bit. I really fancy living down there, what really puts me off is the work situation, very little of it. I have plumped for New Farm i think, higher rents, say an extra $100 bucks a week, but i know i will earn an extra $100 bucks aweek living so close to CBD........But i do like the Gold Coast, but until the AUS dollar drops a bit tourism will suffer so then Cairns and the Gold Coast will suffer...work wise anyway....but hey the sun is shining.

bcworld

Pac Pines? Driving down the M1?

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/...ourt-news.html

chris955

That's exactly the point, crime happens absolutely everywhere, obviously it is more concentrated in certain areas but no village, town or city is immune unfortunately. We have suburbs and areas quite near us that we would avoid after dark and some even in daylight hours.

neil248

Not a joking matter but

the map shows Coomera, Upper Coomera, Pac Pines and Nerang all suburbs with a reputation