Media contributions
1Media contributions
Title Knife crime in Australia - ABC Radio National Degree of recognition National Media name/outlet Radio National ABC Media type Radio Duration/Length/Size 10 mins Country/Territory Australia Date 2/10/24 Description Australia recently. Prompting concern from parts of the Community about the rate of knife crime in the country. But what do the numbers actually say about knife crime? How much of a risk are we at and has been getting worse? Dr Vincent Hurley is elect lecturer in Criminology, police and policing at Sydney's Macquarie University. He's been analysing the data on this and joins us now. Good morning, Dr. Hurley.
Good morning Tom, please call me Vince, good, good, Vince Vince, you've been looking at the trends in light knife crime in recent years in Australia. What do the trends tell us? are these incidents getting more frequent? No, not in Australia not at all in fact crime in Australia going down, and knife crime has also been going down. What generally happens is that whenever there's a stabbing which is always horrendous, it's often link to, say, family or dostic violence, or in the case of Jack Beasley. So these are really high profile cases. And then, if you add on top of that, the Bondi stabbing fairly recently and the Wakefield stabbing of the Bishop, these collective events seem to amplify the fear that knife crime is out of control. In actual fact, it's not. So it's the perception rather than the reality, because when people see or listen to the media about knife crime, they can really identify whether there's quite a chilling image in their mind of someone being stabbed. So it really resonates with with the population. So in actual fact, in Australia, in comparison to the UK and Canada not, crime is going there. All crime is going.
Going down and knife climbing is not anywhere near as bad as he noted the two countries, so we've seen political reaction to recent stabbing incidents. How have the laws changed over the years? Yeah, so it depends what state or territory. But if he's talked about Australia generally, knight crime goes back to the 1920 s in Darling, Sydney, where there was a thing called Ray hurt, which is a hybrid name of the cut throat razors and Darling hurt, where the members of the public at the time called upon the government to try and reduce the flashing of individuals faces by organised crime gangs using the cut throat razor. So then knife crime came to its focus there, and over the years it is really high profile and tragic matters or incidences that have called politicians to react to knife crime in New South Wales, as David Carty E.G., a police officer back in the 1990 s and night laws changed and caused Jack flaws, Jack Beasley has caused politicians to react, and that has flowed on to most states and territories in Australia. But the thing with knife crime is that if you compare it, to say gun and I'm talking at political level now, if you compare it to a gun crime, there is no knife crime lobby.
there is no organization or body that says or protects the rights of those carrying knives, in contrast to the gun lobby. So in many respects knife crime is an easy political fix. that scores politicians brownie points to see or looks as though that they're actually doing something, but there is no opposition to it. Now I'm not saying that's right or wrong all I'm saying is that's the political reality is an easy political win for politicians. When they talk about knife crime, I often wonder if it was compared to the gun lobby would they be is frequently up creating the laws, always vocal when it comes to firearms, as they were to knife crimes, and I doubt it. So you don't, you don't think it. Serves the public hidden political attention that it's been getting no misunderstand me. I believe he should get the public attention because, as you know, Jack Beasley Foundation and their parents are setting up to make children aware of the consequences of carrying a knife. But all I'm saying is that, from a political point of view, I think the politicians jump on the bandwagon and I'm not not downgrading the horrendous you know consequences of being stabbed, because when I was a police officer I was stabbed, so I know what it's like.
So all I'm saying is that, from a political point of view, I think that it's easy for them to go. Well, we just need to update the knife crime laws over the decades, which is in tune with public opinion. But I just think that sometimes they don't do it for tue reason tin purposes. You mentioned that knife crime and crime in general are actually trending downwards. So in terms of the legislative or cultural framework, something we're doing is actually working. Do you have any sense of what that might be? Yes, so it's anything that say E.G. in Canada, Canada do not do not have any specific knife crime legislation in Australia we do in the UK they have specific knife crime legislation, because knife crime is prolific over there because of the lack of access to firearms. But in relation to education or training, the thing is that when you try to. Change social attitudes on any issue of crime or offenders there is always going to be a lag effect. So whilst Beasley Foundation E.G. now hating children on knife crime, they may not see the result benefits of that socially for you know, another 5, 10 or 50 years. So anything that can bring education to children about carrying knives and children generally, which are most important because their minds at that age are very pliable that they can be easily educated or convinced about the dangers of knife crime. When you're talking about someone who was already you know, 18 and beyond their attitude, their moral compass, their views on knife crime or carrying a knife has already been well and truly formed, though you might change some of their views, but it is a younger cohort that needs to be targeted for to educate about knife crime or even domestic violence. E.G..
Okay, Dr Vincent Hurley, lecturer in criminology, police and policing at Macquarie University in Sydney. Thank you so much for your insights. This morning you're listening to ABC News radio with me Tom Melville, Daniella Tillis in the studio with us to talk us through. The latest ABC sportsProducer/Author Tom Melville URL https://broadcast.meltwater.com/public/segment/ Persons Vincent Hurley