Nico Battersby

Straight Edge teenagers ‘mosh’ at a hardcore music event.

Have you got the Edge?

I’m a person just like you
But I’ve got better things to do
Than sit around and fuck my head
Hang out with the living dead
Snort white shit up my nose
Pass out at the shows
I don’t even think about speed
That’s something I just don’t need
I’ve got the straight edge

An American band called Minor Threat wrote this song in 1980. The track “Straight Edge” goes for 36 seconds, but its impression has lasted over three decades.

The name of the song would become a movement that has intoxicated young people all over the world as they claim; they too, have the Straight Edge.

In short, Straight Edge is a subculture that bases itself around hardcore music. People who are Edge do not consume alcohol; they don’t smoke, do drugs or have promiscuous sex.

They took a mark that was originally used by bartenders to identify teens as being too young to drink, and transformed it into a symbol of their lifestyle. The ‘X’ worn on their hands has become a trademark, as they set themselves apart from the norm, and show that they are loud and proud.

“What they were trying to say was ‘fuck you’ to every single norm. The norm is for teens to be passive, drunk and horny. So they say we’re gonna be violent, sober and celibate. Everything society tells us not to be, we’re gonna be that” says Dr Nick Carah from the University of Queensland.

The expert in popular culture has studied the Straight Edge movement and says it took a long time for it to hit Brisbane, and it came along by accident. The early 2000s saw a gain in momentum for hard core music at venues along Mary Street, and it was inevitable that the straight edge message would follow suit. Dr Carah says the venue owners only started noticing the movement as they began to ask themselves “why are we selling so much ginger beer?”

These days, Albion plays host to the Straight Edge scene. Every weekend the PCYC is awash with Straight Edge enthusiasts, mainly made up of teenagers and twenty some-things, there to enjoy the music that founded their life style.

“For me it was a promise that I wouldn’t do what other people did,” says Michael Bennett-Smith, 17.

“Were I go to school is a heavy, heavy drinking culture. It’s a private boy’s school; everyone plays rugby and drinks beer. And that always disgusted me… I really hated it,” his friend, Harley Scott, 16, adds.

For them, Straight Edge is not a temporary life style choice, and the notion of “selling out” (breaking the code of abstinence), is apparently one of the biggest insult you can give a Straight Edge person.

This draws attention to the violent undertones within the Brisbane Straight Edge subculture, in particular, their attitudes towards people who “sell out”. Kelly James, 19, is all too familiar with the violence within the community, but says “there is nothing you can do about it”.

She highlights the extreme opinions some people take to “selling out”, describing them as the more “militant” members of the Straight Edge community. “If you had an Edge tattoo and you sold out, they would take a cheese grater to it, or like sandpaper or whatever.”

She tells a story of a Straight Edge band member who broke the code, and the reaction this caused:

“People came to the show and saw his [the band member’s] car and ripped his car apart, set it all on fire. And when he came out there were five guys bashing the fuck out of him and he was in a coma … And then he just pissed off down to Melbourne, came back a year later and the minute he got to the airport, there were people waiting at the airport for him”.

Mr Scott says this is not a testament to the Straight Edge community, and these violent tendencies have nothing to do with being Edge; “If people are going to get into a fight, whether they’re in straight edge … if they’re gonna fight, this is what they’re gonna do. It’s not what they believe in; it’s just that they’re looking for a fight.”

His friend Bradley Young, 16, speaks against the misconceptions people have on Straight Edge communities because of the violent stories that people hear;

“People think that people that come to this scene are just going to end up poor and dead … a lot of people are actually smart that come here. They are normal people, not just people that come to fight.

Allan Reid, founder of What Remains Records, thinks Straight Edge is a great lifestyle and” sets an excellent example for younger kids that drinking, smoking, doing drugs and sleeping around aren’t activities that you need to do”.

Mr. Reid is a long time Edge member and is a keen supporter of the lifestyle.

“There’s another (lifestyle) option in the form of abstinence and it isn’t something that should be seen as unacceptable,” says Mr. Reid.

Whether people view it in a positive or negative light, the Edge community does not appear to be going anywhere; as their motto infers, “edge til dead”. Who would have thought a band that lasted 6 months would influence and change the way of life for so many young people over 30 years later.

Story by Brigid Amato & Nicholas Battersby

Brisbane’s taxi service is one that operates on demand, 24 hours a day, seven days a week yet their drivers are amongst the worst treated employees in the transport industry.

Every year over 3200 taxi’s travel nearly 440 million kilometres transporting more than 90 million passengers. However, these hard-working men and women have no access to superannuation, work cover, sick or annual leave, and are constant victims of racism, verbal abuse and assault.

A 2010 report to the Workplace Ombudsman found that the average driver works a 45 hour week and makes around $10.72 less GST per hour. In addition, 82 per cent of surveyed drivers reported verbal abuse from either patrons or employers, and 34 per cent being victims of assault.

Bill Parker, general manager of the Yellow Cab Company, is aware of driver discrimination.

“People tend to forget that drivers also deliver all sorts of things from plasma, blood, the disabled and elderly,” he said. “Cab drivers are out there providing a 24/7 service to your front door, at times when public transport does not run.”

Joey, a Brisbane Yellow Cab driver said he was one of the few drivers that enjoy the dreaded Friday and Saturday nights and finds intoxicated passengers quite funny: “They remind me of myself when I was young, I can handle the drunk people.”

John Busst, owner and founder of Ozecab, is concerned about the current state of the cab industry.

“You’re talking about an industry that does not want change,” he said. “There are staggering problems out there, believe me.”

Story by Natalie Linsdell

Hugh Hadgraft

Bryan De Caires, chief executive of the Australian Security Industry Association,  revealed last month that almost half of the applications made by would-be security personnel in New South Wales used a “licensing loophole”, where accreditation under relaxed rules like those in Queensland was accepted elsewhere as part of the Mutual Recognition Act.

The lack of regulation received attention last month as erstwhile security guard Emmanouil Ntaras was charged with bashing 19-year-old Nicholas Barsoum in the basement of Sydney’s Ivy bar. Mr Ntaras completed his security training in Queensland.

But some Brisbane hospitality staff have said that it is the security industry’s failure to appropriately discipline their bouncers that leads to recurring pub violence.

“I don’t think the problem is with who’s being employed, so much as what they’re allowed to get away with,” former Fortitude Valley bar manager, David Warner said.

“Instead of removing bouncers when they’ve done the wrong thing, security companies just move them on to the next venue. If you’ve had a bad experience with security at one pub, chances are you’ll see the same guys the next weekend at a venue down the road,” he said.

In Queensland, applicants for a security guard license must have no recorded conviction of a disqualifying event in the past ten years, or no unrecorded conviction in the past five. The first half of accreditation takes place as online correspondence, followed by a two day, face-to-face training session.

The criticism of private security comes as Queensland Police’s latest annual report details a seven per cent increase in reports of public nuisance offences, and a two per cent increase in common assault charges.

Emma Egerton, former door staffer of prominent Brisbane city bar Jade Buddha, believes that the potential for security situations to get out of hand stems from a lack of synergy between venues and security subcontractors.

“It seems that there is the potential with subcontracted security for bouncers to overstep the line, because they don’t really have anyone to answer to,” Ms Egerton said.

“That’s why [Jade Buddha] has always employed their own security guards rather than using subcontractors; the doormen feel responsible for whatever happens during the night, and if they overstep the line, then they face the very real possibility of losing their job.”

Legally, security personnel may only use reasonable force to evict a patron. In situations where greater than reasonable force is necessary, it is a legal requirement that police are called, and the patron will be issued with an on-the-spot, $550 fine.

However Townsville bouncer Karim De Ridder feels that while there are security guards that use unnecessary force in the line of duty, it’s unfair to tar the entire industry with the same brush.

“The problem is, for every 100 blokes doing their job legitimately, there’s going to be a couple who want the confrontation,” Mr De Ridder said.

Listen to the perspective of students below:

News jingle: mansardian on freesound cc licence

]]> http://jacdigital.com.au/2011/11/clubs-call-for-tougher-laws-on-security/feed/ 0 http://jacdigital.com.au/2011/11/budget-cuts-affect-mental-health-funding/ http://jacdigital.com.au/2011/11/budget-cuts-affect-mental-health-funding/#comments Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:36:32 +0000 Lucy Hannah, Thomas Nall, Samantha Aldenton http://jacdigital.com.au/?p=7349

Samantha Aldenton

One in three Australians suffers from a mental health disorder.

One in three Australians will be diagnosed with a mental illness in their lifetime and one in five will be diagnosed in the next 12 months. While the Federal Government plans to contribute $2.2 billion over the next five years to mental health services, most of this funding will come from cuts to Medicare rebates for GPs and from reducing the number of allied psychological consultations available to patients.

While the Delivering National Mental Health Reform announcements from the Government have been met with some positive initial reactions from groups like the Mental Health Council of Australia (MHCA), other industry bodies are not happy with the decision. The Australian Medical Association’s (AMA) president, Andrew Pesce stated in an AMA media release in May, “this Budget decision gives with one hand and takes away with the other”.

The Better Access to Mental Health Care Initiative will be most affected by the Budget reform. $580.5 million will be taken in total from Better Access, which encourages GPs to participate in “early intervention, assessment and management of patients with mental disorders” and provide referrals to psychologists and psychiatrists.

Funding cuts to this program mean that patients who visit their GPs seeking mental health guidance or referrals may have to be sent to another doctor or rely on not-for-profit care organisations. Patients requiring more consultations than the subsidised number will have to pay for these entirely.

The Government believes that this redirection of funding will allow better access to after hours primary care to relieve pressure on the public hospital system. The Government also believes that through the establishment of Medicare Locals, which the AMA has tagged as “a new level of bureaucracy”, there will be a less fragmented primary health care system. The establishment of a new Mental Health Commission has also been implemented to provide strategies and advice on mental health reform based on the performance of the system nationwide.

Some industry professionals have stated that the new Budget is simply a diversion of funds and that taking from one sector and giving to another won’t necessarily improve the care currently available to patients.

Some mental health patients believe the present Government services available fall short in providing an appropriate standard of care. One mental health patient, Calyn Van Wyk, said the care provided to her by the Government through both the Federal and State services was “not enough”, and she had to rely on family members during her rehabilitation after a number of psychotic episodes.

Where Government provided services like mental health plans and subsidised psychologist sessions fall short, non-government organisations, like Lifeline, bear a significant amount of weight. NGOs provide assistance for those unable to access GP or allied health care services.

The Government’s Budget reforms aim to provide better access to Government services for high-need groups. But many health care professionals, like Christine McAuliffe, former Gillard Government advisor, argue that GPs are the front line for the majority of mental health concerns in communities and that taking money away from them will negatively impact the standard of care available for many people.

Story by Samantha Aldenton, Lucy Hannah and Thomas Nall

Brandon Livesay

Street Mural in a Fortitude Valley Back Alley

In the world of art, graffiti can be a dirty term.  Negative portrayals in the media and links to crime and vandalism have tainted the artists that favour a spray can over a paintbrush.

This slideshow highlights some of the street art in the Brisbane area, with comments from two local artists that have turned their graffiti roots into burgeoning young businesses.

Travis Vinson has 15 years of experience in graffiti and is a part of Street Art Sales, a collective of artists that paint commissioned murals and canvases for local businesses’ and private collectors.

Joel Fergie is a young artists who has painted murals for the Kenmore Football Club and Alan’s Cafe.

But the public has mixed views on the value of graffiti as art. We hit the streets to find out what the public thinks of the extensive graffiti on Brisbane’s train network.

Joleen Seam

A rebound in price for small-scale technology certificates in the Enhanced Renewable Energy Target (eRET) scheme next year will provide hope for many solar businesses.

The Australian Solar Energy Society, AuSES, is collaborating with the Federal Government to ensure stability across the Australian solar industry in relation to small-scale technology (STCs) pricing for next year.

At the start of the year STCs that were tradable for financial benefits faced a dip in price from $37 in January 2011 to as low as $14 in the middle of the year.

STCs are part of the Enhanced Renewable Energy Target scheme that was implemented on the 1 January 2011.

The constructed timeline delves into the progression and details of STCs.

Solar Choice’s solar energy policy analyst James Martin says the fluctuating price of STCs has caused the solar industry a lot of grief.

“A few of the bigger players (in the solar industry) have gone under,” he said.

“Lots of (solar) systems were installed when the price was high but certificates were not cashed in until after the price had dropped.”

According to Mr Martin, Solar Choice’s free solar installation brokering service in Australia and network of solar installers across the country means it is in a “unique position to see how things are changing in the industry,” in relation to STCs prices.

“Although the Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator has set up an STC clearing house that nominally offers $40 for each STC, no stakeholders will touch these while cheaper certificates are available elsewhere on the market,” Mr Martin said.

General manager of The Solar Guys Arno Bertogna says the instability of STCs pricing issue is due to insufficient transparency between the government and the solar industry.

“The issue is the lack of certainty and clarity to enable businesses to plan for the long term and short term,” he said.

“We don’t have a good understanding on how they (the Government) are substantiating the forecast and how they determine their targets.”

Chief executive of the Australian Solar Energy Society John Grimes says the society is presently supporting the Government’s work to make a more accurate forecast for the next calendar year.

“The Government is making a real effort this year to ensure it sets a target, which is much more reliant to the market reality,” he said.

“We are working collaboratively with industries to provide expert advice to the government.”

Solar businesses can expect to see STC prices rebound back to a trading range of $35 to $40 per certificate next year upon AuSES’ successful partnership with the Federal Government.

Story by Joleen Seam

Flickr user Fabrizio Van Marciano

Google Plus launched September 2011

The release of Google+ on September 20, 2011 has sparked much debate among social media users in Australia. Following on from the failure of Google Buzz in 2010, users were sceptical of the new site that was again trying to enter into the social media market.

The interest in Google+ has surprised many critics, with the numbers already exceeding 600,000 users in Australia alone. With Facebook in operation since 2004 and currently sitting at 10 million Australian users, it’s estimated that Google could overtake Facebook if this rate of growth continues.

For Australian consumers, the increased features that Google+ offers in comparison with Facebook are the main attraction. Google Hangout, video calling with multiple parties, Google Circles, selecting circles to share information with and Google Huddles, a group text chat, are features that have Australian users talking.

The features join hundreds of Google products ranging from the seemingly mundane such as their web development suite to Android, the largest smart phone operating system in the world. Their search product has become so popular that it is has entered the lexicon of the English language. This dominant position has raised privacy issues.

The new site appears to have added privacy and security, compared with other social networks. However, with the Google network spanning more regions and with more users than any other online platform, there appears to be a false sense of security.

One criticism of Google+ has been a lack of friends to communicate with on this new social medium, with bloggers hinting that the future of the site will be unsure if popularity dwindles.

This package looks at the Google’s popularity, the new platform, and issues of privacy.

By Jane Farrugia and Michael Nugent

Rebekah Mulholland, Linden Morris, Tim Ferrier

Lockyer Valley Mayor Steve Jones, Senior Human and Social Recovery Officer Sue Hewitt, and Lockyer Valley Deputy Mayor Graham Moon at recent Lockyer Valley Wellbeing Expo

On January 10 this year, as residents of the Lockyer Valley went about their daily routines, one of Australia’s worst flash floods hit hard and fast causing mass destruction and devastation.

It was a day few in the valley will forget, but as the community rebuilds, serious,  long-term effects such as mental illnesses are emerging among flood survivors. Local councils and community groups are working to tackle post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

After many consecutive days of rain in the Toowoomba area, a final massive downpour created what can only be described as a wall of water, which swept through the main street, washing away everything in its path.

The flood swiftly moved through Murphy’s Creek and down into the Lockyer Valley, where 19 lives were lost and small towns like Grantham were almost completely destroyed.

Today, residents from Murhpy’s Creek, Withcott, Grantham, Laidley and Forest Hill are still dealing with the loss of family members, homes, businesses, crops and livelihoods.

Such a devastating event can have serious consequences, including mental illness.

Queensland Health describes PTSD as “a condition people develop after they have been exposed to a distressing experience”. Symptoms include distressing memories and dreams, efforts to avoid the reminders, a negative outlook, lack of sleep, and self-destructive behaviour.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), recognises PTSD as an illness with very strict guidelines for diagnosis.

This makes the recording of PTSD cases very difficult within a community like the Lockyer Valley, with many survivors showing only a few symptoms needed for diagnosis.

However, Denny Brain, from the government run Community Recovery Referral and Information Centre (CRRIC), believes someone does not need to be diagnosed with PTSD for them to be suffering of flood-related depression in some way.

“I have certainly come across many who’ve been showing the symptoms… of post-traumatic stress syndrome,” Mr Brain said.

Lockyer Valley councilor and deputy mayor Graham Moon, who is also heavily involved with the council run Human and Social Recovery Committee, believes the council also recognises the prevalence of PTSD and flood-related depression within the affected community

“It is an area that we are concerned about,” Cr Moon said.

Farm manger Eddie Sloan is one sufferer. As a result of the January downpour he was isolated for a week at a property near Dalby.

Although he had been previously diagnosed with depression before the floods hit, Mr Sloan believes the disaster delivered a heightened sense of anxiety, fear and sadness.

“That brought up a lot of old feelings, emotions that I sort of hadn’t dealt with or hadn’t experienced for a couple of years… being mainly some depression symptoms and that sort of thing,” said Mr Sloan.

“I was able to work through them as I’ve been trained, had good therapy… over a period of time leading up to that.”

Members from both the Lockyer Valley Council and CRRIC believe they are doing their absolute best to help depression sufferers like Mr Sloan.

The local council is constantly commended on their infrastructure work, however Cr Moon says the human and social sector of the Lockyer Valley Council meets twice as often as infrastructure sectors.

“Those sub-committees have now gone out to meeting every month … or even maybe a bit longer … because of our concern about this human and social area we still meet every fortnight,” Cr Moon said.

CRRIC is based in several areas throughout the flood affected area and their sole purpose is to assist flood survivors with getting the help needed to overcome their mental struggles.

“[In Toowoomba] it’s really about people coming in for Department of Communities grants but in the CRRICs down in the Lockyer, [it’s about] Red Cross and Lifeline … if people are distressed and need to speak to someone they can speak to Lifeline,” said Michelle Leadbetter from the government run CRRIC.

To support the work CRRIC is doing, the local council have deployed several councilors and volunteers across the flood stricken area, something Cr Tanya Milligan, head of the HSRC, is very pleased with.

“For me it’s about … being positive. And it is about being optimistic, so … I don’t know that it’s just all for show,” said Cr Milligan.

Cr Moon said the community was very supportive.

Another initiative by the Lockyer Valley Council was the Well Being Expo, held on October 15, 2011. The Expo was set up to promote positive thought, healthy lifestyle choices, community spirit and highlight the support available for community members.

“It was an initiative out of the human and social and with the aim specifically not to be disaster related. We wanted anyone from the community … to be able to just turn up and take something home with them,” Cr Milligan said.

Although much is getting done, Cr Moon believes the move of residents to Upper Grantham will be the most positive step forward for those in the community.

“I think the community is very appreciative of what we’ve done … but in the main people are very understanding and they accept the fact that the rectification of the problems that we have experienced will probably take maybe even two and a half maybe even three years,” Cr Moon said.

As far as getting back to normality, Cr Milligan reiterates the fact normal will be nothing like it used to be.

“I think we will never be … it will never go back the way it was. I mean in the early days we spoke about … back to the way it used to be, but the reality of it is that we’ll never go back, it will never go back to the way it was,” said Cr Milligan.

Picture credit: Annabelle Brayley cc

Ashley Ang

Gaming enthusiasts trying out a dance game at the EB Expo 2011

The games industry has long played second fiddle to larger entertainment industries like films and music, but it hasn’t looked back since drastically outpacing both of them in growth in 2007.

According to PricewaterhouseCooper’s (PWC) 2008 Global and Entertainment and Media Outlook report, gaming is expected to be a $68 billion industry by 2012, overtaking the film and music industries. Even more staggering is the prediction that, by 2015, the industry will have jumped again to $90.1 billion.

Dr Jeffrey Brand from Bond University, author of the Digital Australia 2012 report, research prepared by Bond University in conjunction with the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association, suggests that games and gaming culture have now become mainstream in Australia.

He said that games were becoming a common, accepted part of our media. “Just look at the growth of female gamers: quite simply, female gamers have begun to set the content agenda, and I think they will do so with greater effect in the coming decade. More content, more accessible platforms and more social facilities in games has given the games market a welcome force,” said Dr Brand.

According to DA12, a report into video games in Australia, the number of homes with gaming devices has risen to 92 per cent with the average adult gaming having played games for around 12 years. Although sales for both console and online games are both set to see massive increases, the latter is expected to generate $14.4 billion internationally next year – 40 per cent of traditional console gaming – an astounding figure for a market that has just begun to take off.

This growth is supported by the current trend in Australia’s gaming market. Despite the shut down of several Brisbane-based game companies such as Krome Studios and THQ, Creative Director at 3Blokes, John Passfield, believes it is a shift, not a downturn, that is occurring in the gaming industry. “Companies should have been aware of it and adapted accordingly,” he said. “We need to start looking at what’s up next.”

What is next, in the eyes of many, is a move from larger traditional platforms to social media and iPhone applications. Morgan Jaffit, Creative Director at Defiant Development said, “The AAA industry is the same size, with more profits. It’s just not seeing as fast growth as the social media.”

With the success of games like Angry Birds for the iPhone and Farmville for Facebook, larger companies have begun to realise the potential in these platforms. Many, like long-time developer EA, seem to have hit the right formula by jumping on the bandwagon and repackaging their products for a social setting as a new means of income.

Mr Jaffit believes that Australia is a country with an increasing amount of talent in the gaming industry and remains positive about the industry’s future. “The whole pursuit is on an upward trend, and Australian projections see an enormous range… Australia has a strong reputation,” said Mr Jaffit. “We’ll be in a position of growth over the next three to four years. Though many Australian programmers move overseas to be trained, many return with their skills to work on local projects.” PWC has supported his views so far, with a prediction that the local gaming industry would reach $2.5 billion by 2015.

If Australia’s first EB Games Expo earlier this month was any thing to go by, the industry is unlikely to fall short of that prediction. A maximum capacity of 15,000 patrons over three sessions at the Gold Coast Exhibition Centre indulged in showcases by industry bigwigs such as 2K, Capcom, Ubisoft, EA, and Bethesda. Those in line for demo units like Arkham City, Mass Effect 3, and Skyrim – viewed on a massive curtained-off screen – saw a wait of over an hour, with palpable excitement as patrons neared the finish.

Ken Sceele, an organiser of the EB Expo, said he was not surprised at the industry’s $68 billion global projection. “At the moment and at the rate at which everything is going, I’d say that’s a fair call,” he said. “And if the games themselves being developed are meeting the demands of the gamers, it can definitely happen.”

Following the success on the Gold Coast, plans for a second EB Games Expo to be held in Sydney next year are being put into action. This show of the strength of Australia’s gaming culture is certainly a reinforcement of the current predicted trends in the industry.

With the way the games industry and culture is growing within the nation, it might not be too long before Australia sees its own variations of gaming in other mainstream media.

Criminal activity within the Gold Coast is continuing to rise with a string of armed robberies occurring throughout the city this month.

The robbery of a convenience store in Surfers Paradise last Wednesday marked the 46th reported instance of armed robbery in the Gold Coast since May.

The robbery of a convenience store in Surfers Paradise last Wednesday has marked the forty-sixth reported instance of armed robbery in the Gold Coast since May.  The interactive map above  highlights criminal activity from May-October 2011, as recorded by Queensland Police and reported by Queensland news publications including The Courier-Mail and Gold Coast Bulletin.

In the past six months a total of 126 instances of violent crime has been reported throughout the Gold Coast the region, resulting in media outlets such as the The Australian declaring the Gold Coast the nation’s capital of organised crime.

However, armed robberies aren’t the only crime seen to be increasing, with Gold Coast police reporting a rise in assault, unlawful wounding and drug charges during October in comparison to recent months.

To put these statistics into perspective, the Australian Bureau of Statistics figures on recorded crime highlighted only 265-recorded instances of armed robbery throughout Queensland during 2010.

Former Queensland Police assistant commissioner Noel Creevey said while this increase in reported instances of serious crime can be linked to the activities of organised crime it is more difficult to counteract than simple criminal offenses.

“Organised crime certainly plays a major role in the rate of crime that occurs in the Gold Coast. This can be said for most cities,” he said.

“But if police are spending all their time responding to reported crime it becomes very difficult to investigate other matters. Police know there is a lot of organised crime, but it’s simply a matter of having other duties to attend to.”

Reducing criminal activity

While the existence of organized crime is acknowledged, recent local government and police activity indicate a focus on minor offences.

Southport and Surfers Paradise, renowned for their nightlife scene, are the suburbs most affected by crime with 58 of the 126 offences occurring there.

Police have made a conscious attempt to target these areas.

In late July, Gold Coast mayor Ron Clarke announced a further $3.528 million would be allocated to crime prevention.

The funds will go towards continuing to upgrade the security camera network in Southport and Surfers Paradise and ensuring there are sufficient numbers of “police on the beat”.

The announcement correlated with the launch of Operation Seymour, a month-long 50-officer force targeting criminal and anti-social activity on the Gold Coast.

Taking place throughout August, the 27 days of Operation Seymour saw a total of 741 people arrest on 1157 charges ranging from assault, drug, weapons, property, street and traffic offences.

The arrests were an attempt to reduce criminal offences commonly associated with alcohol and drug use such as possession of a dangerous drug, public nuisance, public urination and assault.

This objective was successfully achieved.

Results of Operation Seymour – August 2011

Source: Queensland Police

However, Gold Coast residents say criminal activity has increased since the operation ended.

Southport Neighbourhood Watch member James Fletcher said residents within the Southport and Surfers Paradise communities are well aware of this increase.

“There have been several instances where crime has spilled out onto the street which is a huge concern for both us at Neighbourhood Watch and members of the Gold Coast community,” he said.

Mr Fletcher believes the problem lies within a minor percentage of the Gold Coast population.

“The majority of people do the right thing, all the time,” he said.

With the Queensland Police announcing in September that 47 of 203 new Police recruits would be allocated to the Gold Coast region, further positive results are anticipated.

“People should be able to go about their local community without being affected by crime or anti-social behaviour influenced by alcohol and other drugs,” Mr Creevey said.

“The best way to do this is to increase police presence within the area.”