NCJ Number
190165
Date Published
July 2000
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Based on New South Wales and Victorian data (Australia), this study explored some links between crime and regional development in Australia.
Abstract
Communities in regional Australia have experienced complex processes of urbanization and modernization, together with the demographic, economic, and social changes that are associated with an urban lifestyle that arises from economic prosperity and increases in crime. This study analyzed data for Local Government Areas (LGAs) in New South Wales and Victoria. The objective was to identify factors that were subject to public policy for regional development. The findings indicated that there was a link between economic change and the crime rates in non-metropolitan LGAs, but this link did not operate uniformly across offense types and States. Areas with more stable populations were associated with lower crime rates, and regional unemployment contributed to increases in regional crime rates. Non-metropolitan areas that reached the threshold of 20,000 residents had higher crime rates than areas with smaller populations. Economic stability contributed to reductions in regional crime rates. Economic fluctuations, particularly those affecting agriculture and mining industries, tended to increase crime rates. In some cases, this occurred directly, and in others it occurred through the effect of economic change in residential stability and economic conditions. Although these findings must be considered preliminary, they suggest the existence of a link between economic change and crime. The analysis must include other States to verify whether the findings are applicable under different conditions. 1 table, 3 figures, and 16 references