In a shocking twist that threatens to shake the very foundations of all we know about life in the universe, a study by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics (BOCSAR) has found an increase in the number of assaults at Sydney’s Star casino since the lockouts were introduced.
As the AAP reports, the Pyrmont venue, which is exempt from the lockout laws for very logical and transparent reasons, has become one of Sydney’s violence hotspots in the wake of the state’s controversial laws.
In fact, Pyrmont is the only central city suburb to see an increase in assaults since the lockouts were introduced. According to BOCSAR statistics, non-domestic assaults in the Pyrmont area have increased to average almost 13 assaults per month since the lockouts.
That’s an increase of about two more assaults per month than before the lockouts. Considering the fact that previously published statistics indicated that assaults were on the decline in NSW prior to the lockouts, this is certainly curious.
BOCSAR found that almost half of the assaults in the area occurred near the casino (after all, people pretty much flock to the area just for the casino). 71 percent of victims were casino patrons and about 15 percent were taxi drivers.
You may be tempted to write off the increase as simply minor, but remember that BOCSAR did not find a similar increase in assaults in other popular lockout-free nightlife areas like Newtown, Bondi, or Double Bay.
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“This is the only one so far we can see an increase in,” BOCSAR director Don Weatherburn told the AAP. However, the Star isn’t worried about the increase, saying their own numbers show a reduction in assaults between 2014 and 2015.
BOCSAR’s report comes amid a government review of the lockouts, which will include a discussion over whether restrictions should be placed on venues like the Star casino. The review is expected to be published later this year.
You can read BOCSAR’s full report here.
