New book lifts the lid on "crime in rural Australia"

April 27, 2007

Crime in Rural Australia, the first nationally-focused, broad-ranging book to attempt to understand the problem of crime in rural and regional Australia, has been strongly endorsed by the NSW Assistant Police Commissioner, Steve Bradshaw.

During the launch of the book yesterday at the University of New England, Assistant Commissioner Bradshaw said that he would push to see the "valuable new resource" in as many NSW police stations as possible.

Responsible for the Western Police Region (65 per cent of the area of NSW), Assistant Commissioner Bradshaw said: "Violence in rural communities is very severe and, on a pro rata basis, is worse than in urban metropolitan areas. We have needed a tool like this in rural law enforcement. In policing, we need some form of academic research to prove our argument. It's one thing to have anecdotal stories and to present what we believe are the facts; but when we're looking for extra resources – such as staff – it is important to have this kind of academic research to provide the data that governments rely on when allocating resources and creating sound law enforcement policies. Many of our recruits come from the city, and the insights in the book will help them to adapt to a foreign rural setting."

In launching the book, the Member for Northern Tablelands, Richard Torbay, described the book as an important tool in addressing issues of rural crime – issues, he said, that were not appreciated by city-centric governments.

The groundbreaking resource was edited – and largely written – by the Director of the Centre for Rural Crime (a research centre within the Institute for Rural Futures at UNE), Dr Elaine Barclay, Sociologist and Bachelor of Arts Coordinator at UNE Dr John Scott, Associate Professor Russell Hogg from UNE's School of Law, and Professor Joseph Donnermeyer from Ohio State University in the United States.

According to Dr Scott, crime is generally viewed as a problem affecting city people. "Anyone who lives in a rural community knows this is just plain wrong, yet we frequently see it reflected in the media, academic studies, political rhetoric and popular television," he said. "If crime is highlighted in rural communities, it tends to be presented as an Aboriginal problem and/or in terms of property crime. This also misrepresents the reality and extent of crime in rural and regional Australia."

"Our book shows that one of biggest problems facing rural Australia is violent crime, and that this problem cannot be reduced to being an Indigenous problem alone," he continued. "The book is 'a must read' for anyone who cares about rural and regional Australia and its future."

"The book examines problems unique to rural communities – such as stock theft – which have huge economic and social impacts but tend to be neglected in research into crime and public discussions of crime," said Dr Barclay. "Some of the worst crimes and most notorious murders in Australia, such as the Ivan Milat backpacker murders, have been in regional areas, yet city residents let their guard down and feel safe in the country."

"Crime in Rural Australia draws on the knowledge of professionals who have worked in rural communities," she said, "and includes contributions from such people. It presents a range of issues affecting rural and regional communities, and practical solutions are presented in a readily understandable format."

"The book is designed to be especially useful for people involved at the forefront of the criminal justice system in rural and regional Australia: that is, lawyers, the police, magistrates, and social workers," said Mr Hogg. "Rural communities face more crime per capita than our major cities, but their courts lack the sentencing options available to their city counterparts. In our major cities, sentencing options can draw upon greater resources – including the drug courts, drug treatments, even counselling and anger management – but in rural areas the magistrates have one real option: jail. This is an unfair aspect of 'crime in rural Australia' that the book highlights."

The authors used interviews, focus groups, and surveys to hear the voices of rural and regional Australians. The book also allows professionals involved with the criminal justice system to speak for themselves, reflecting candidly on their experiences.

"In compiling the material for the book, we literally talked to people in rural and regional communities, gathering direct input from them as to their understanding of crime and what can be done about it," Mr Hogg said. "That's what really sets this book apart – relevant people giving first-hand insights."

Crime in Rural Australia capitalises on UNE's growing expertise and solid national and international reputation in the area of rural crime research. The book represents a multidisciplinary approach at UNE to addressing rural crime issues - in line with UNE's overall Strategic Plan 2007-2010, especially in the areas of cross-institutional collaboration and the development of rural and regional expertise.

Crime in Rural Australia, edited by Elaine Barclay, Joseph Donnermeyer, John Scott and Russell Hogg, is available through the bookshop at the University of New England and other leading book stores, as well as through the publishers, Federation Press (www.federationpress.com.au).

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here shows the NSW Assistant Police Commissioner, Steve Bradshaw, with UNE's Dr Elaine Barclay at yesterday's book launch.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at April 27, 2007 05:25 PM