Acting Police Commissioner Linda Williams says CBD crime is steady but more resources are fighting ‘perception’

Tourists are afraid to walk to their CBD hotels, staff at parliament are warned to leave in pairs – but this top SA officer had a blunt response when asked about it.

Crime in the Adelaide CBD has not significantly increased – but SA Police has added more patrols to respond to the “perception” of an increase, the acting commissioner says.

Linda Williams fronted parliament’s Budget and Finance Committee while acting for Police Commissioner Grant Stevens on Monday.

Asked whether there had been any specific number of additional resources allocated to the CBD to combat an increase in crime, Acting Commissioner Williams said “crime is returning to pre-Covid levels”.

“I don’t think that there’s a vast increase. There is some areas where crime is increasing,” she said.

Committee chair Heidi Girolamo responded with: “I think a lot of businesses or people within the CBD would disagree, I think it has increased significantly”.

But acting Commissioner Williams disagreed.

“No there’s a perception, then there’s the reality of the crime stats, which is what I’m referring to,” she said.

Mounted police on Hindley Street on a Friday night. The Advertiser/ Morgan Sette

“But I understand people’s perceptions of that and that’s why we are trying to increase our patrol responses when we can with these additional resources to assist the Eastern District.”

In April, The Advertiser reported figures showing a victim was seriously assaulted, on average, nearly every day in the city or North Adelaide.

Figures show a 350 per cent increase since the three years from 2015-2017, when the average yearly total of serious assaults causing injury was just 78.

Analysis of monthly police data shows the surge of violence is still increasing – there were almost 300 assault-related incidents in January and February this year, 30 more than in 2022.

Property damage crimes, shop or car thefts and stealing vehicles were also at a 12-year high last year, sparking calls for authorities to tackle rising anti-social behaviour.

It prompted Mr Stevens to say shop owners could not expect police to attend every call-out.

Earlier this month, hospitality workers said they were forced to walk frightened tourists back to their hotels, while MPs and staff working late at Parliament House were told to leave in pairs and avoid long waits for buses amid violent incidents on North Terrace.

Commuters and workers in the area said the area around North Tce and King William St was plagued with alcohol-fuelled violence and anti-social behaviour.

Acting Commissioner Williams said she was not concerned about current resourcing levels because police are focused on the problem and working with partner agencies.

Police Deputy Commissioner, Linda Williams talking to the press at the State Admin Centre in Adelaide, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022. Picture: Matt Loxton

“Police are one solution to the problem but … if we’re not actually helping people and understanding what the issues are in terms of alcohol consumption or drugs or homelessness, we need to deal with those issues as well,” she said.

The committee heard there were 151 active response teams in the Eastern District, which incorporates the CBD – higher than the allocated number of 145.

In the metro area this year, police have responded to 91 per cent of all grade-one calls – emergencies that require a “lights-and-sirens” response – within 15 minutes.

For grade-two calls – which require an “immediate response – police have responded to 76 per cent within 30 minutes.

And for grade-three calls – a routine response – police have responded to 83 per cent within two hours.

When asked how many calls from businesses are unattended by police, Commissioner Williams said she would take the question on notice.

Deputy Opposition Leader John Gardner argued crime statistics had risen recently, and showed that on average for the month of April more than five assaults occurred in the CBD each day.

“For the government to claim that this is an issue of perception and not reality is just not right,” he said.

“The April figures, which have just been released, show significant increases again in serious crime in the CBD.

“Shopkeepers, people working in the CBD, small businesses in the CBD, they are expressing concerns on a regular basis that aren’t being taken seriously by this government.”

Police Minister Joe Szakacs said the state government dramatically boosted resources for SAPOL in this year’s state budget.

“While CBD offending has been stable over the last four years, government agencies recognise the need to respond to incidents and non-criminal anti-social behaviour,” he said.

“SAPOL Operation Paragon and other responses spearheaded by the Department for Human Services are already in place in the CBD to facilitate access to support services for vulnerable individuals in the community and reduce anti-social behaviour in the CBD, including the North Tce precinct.”