Updated on October 11, 2024
Many crimes are opportunistic. They happen because the environment is conducive to crime or because people think it will be easy to “get away with it”. The challenge is to recognise these problems and do something about it. Urban design can encourage crime through poor lighting, hidden recesses in buildings or deserted open spaces. Inadequate services can also contribute. This could be anything from telephones that don’t work to transport facilities that are poorly located. Then these services can be easily and cost effectively improved once the problems are identified.
Creating safer local environments will help those more vulnerable members of our community feel safer. By working together we can identify problems and demonstrate how small changes can have big benefits.
The following button links to a “heat-map” of crime based on reports in the Queensland police database. It’s one day behind, however is a “close to real time” view of crime statistics.
Call 000 if:
- The Crime is happening now
- When you life or property is in immediate danger
- When the event is time critical, for example a fire that concerns you.
Call 131 444 PoliceLink if the crime is NOT happening now, not life threatening or there is no likelihood of the suspected offender still being in the area. This number is used for non-uregnt reporting and enquiries.
Call 1800 333 000 CrimeStoppers to provide anonymous information about criminal activity. This is a community Programme.
Protect Yourself against scams
Scams are getting harder to spot. Australians reported a record $3.1 billion lost to scams last year. That’s 80% more than the year before.
Behind the growing numbers are everyday Australians who lost money to scams – sometimes their life savings. And the true cost of scams is more than a dollar figure. Scams can have a devastating impact on victims’ lives.
As scammers become increasingly sophisticated in their tactics, we need to better coordinate our efforts to stop them.
The National Anti-Scam Centre has been set up to coordinate government, law enforcement and the private sector to combat scams. It builds on the work of the ACCC’s Scamwatch service.
The best way to protect yourself is through awareness and education.
The The Australian Competition and Consummer Commission (ACCC) has produced the ‘Little Black Book of Scams’ for consumers and small businesses to learn about scams including:
- the most common scams to watch out for
- the different ways scammers can contact you
- the tools scammers use to trick you
- the warning signs
- how to protect yourself, and
- where you can find help.