Search the map: Data exposes South Australia worst hot spots for assaults

The owner of an Adelaide icon has called for action against street violence as data reveals the state’s most dangerous suburbs. Search the map.

The owner of an iconic CBD restaurant has called for action against violent behaviour as data reveals South Australia’s assault hot spots.

Billy Duff, part owner of King William St’s La Trattoria Restaurant & Pizza Bar, recounted the moment a woman ran inside at lunch time and was forced to shelter in the building after being assaulted.

“It wasn’t a good look,” he said. “As a business, these things do affect (us).”

“We see people yelling quite often. You’ve just got to deal with it.”

Of 13,562 assaults recorded in SA between July 2022 and March 2023, Adelaide was the most dangerous, according to statistics obtained through the South Australian Government Data directory.

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Restaurant owner, Billy Duff outside La Trattoria in Adelaide, where concerns over property damage and violence have been raised. Picture: Matt Loxton

The city saw 642 assaults with regional cities also among the highest including Port Augusta, 336, Mount Gambier, 237 and Port Lincoln, 213, in the nine month period.

Rates of assaults in the suburbs were higher in Adelaide’s north with Elizabeth recording 167 and Salisbury 159.

La Tratt’s Mr Duff, who was previously front of house for over 20 years, said violence and vandalism had affected the restaurant over the past year.

He called for more funding and security cameras to combat violence in the area and hold people accountable for their actions.

“A bit more of a police presence and measures to stop people from doing what they’re doing … needs to be looked at,” he said.

“There needs to be more deterrents put in place and support for people with mental illness.”

Flinders University Criminology and criminal justice researcher Dr Simone Deegan said the data reflected the need for more services to support those in trouble with the law.

Dr Deegan said Australian research showed a strong relationship between age and illegal behaviour.

“Crime, and street violence in particular, is a young person’s game with offender rates consistently highest among persons aged 15 to 19 years and lowest among those aged 25 and over,” she said.

“My research has found that assaults are often not pre-planned but a consequence of alcohol and other drugs – and the image of masculinity or status within peer or community networks.”

Police along North Terrace at night. Picture: The Advertiser

A police spokesman told The Advertiser the higher number of assaults in Adelaide was “probably” the result of an influx of people.

“The Adelaide CBD sees a large influx of patronage every day that outnumbers all other South Australian suburbs,” he said.

“There it is probably expected that due to the population in the CBD at any one time the prevalence of assaults would be higher than other less populated areas.”

The spokesman said Operation Paragon, introduced in November last year, would minimise the number of assaults, anti-social behaviour and violence through “highly visible police presence into the CBD through mobile and foot patrols and Mounted Operations”.

He said police were working with businesses, hoteliers and Liquor Licencing Commissioner, “to provide assistance and strategies to maintain public safety and public perception of safety”.