Ask any SA buyer what they’re looking for in a home and they’ll likely tell you – ahead of bucket-list features like pools, tennis courts and home theatres – a sense of safety and security.
Those looking for exactly that need look no further than the government’s latest quarterly crime statistics which paint a picture of just how safe or potentially dangerous our suburbs are.
The data, which includes all offences from July 1 to September 30, reveals, perhaps unsurprisingly given its population and the number of people who frequent it from day to day, Adelaide city had the highest number of reported crimes at 1927.
The city came it at number one for reported offences. Picture: Supplied by Knight Frank
This includes everything from trespass to theft from retail premises, assault and trespass.
Port Augusta had the second-highest number of offences, at 629, ahead of Port Lincoln with 536, Salisbury’s 379, Mount Gambier’s 374, and Morphett Vale’s 318.
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Modbury, Oaklands Park and Elizabeth all had more than 300 crimes reported for the quarter – 306, 305 and 304 respectively – while 12 suburbs or towns had between 200 and 300 offences.
Another 41 suburbs or towns had between 100 and 200 offences for the quarter, while 191 areas had just one, including College Park on the city’s eastern fringe and Glenalta in Adelaide’s southern foothills.
Williams Real Estate selling agent Hamish Mill said College Park’s size helped contribute to its low crime rate.
“College Park is a really tiny little suburb – there are not many streets and not many houses, and that’s why there’s not much crime, whereas all the other prestige suburbs like St Peter’s and Joslin and Dulwich and Rose Park, they’re much bigger,” he said.
Hamish Mill of Williams Real Estate.
“Plus the majority of these houses have surveillance and cameras and alarms, and that’s a huge deterrent.
“It also has a lovely community where the neighbours all keep a good eye out for each other.”
Angie Markovic of Century 21, who is selling a property at 19 Margaret Ave, Glenalta, said buyers sought out a sense of security.
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“We had 51 groups through on the first weekend, and safety and community were one of the reasons people were attracted to Glenalta,” she said.
“The number of long-term residents really reflects the suburb’s stability and appeal.
“Anyone who has experienced a break-in or trespass knows how unsettling it can be, which highlights why buyers place such importance on feeling safe in their home.
“A well-established, tightly held suburb with a strong sense of community tends to attract strong interest, which naturally supports property prices.
“People are naturally drawn to areas they know and trust.”
Angie Markovic of Century 21.
The data captured all reported crimes, not simply those on private property, and as such, suburbs with large retail complexes, transport hubs, hospitals and the like attract a higher rate of reports due to their increased foot traffic and the types of crime they naturally attract.
The suburbs in which sexual assaults were reported were not disclosed.
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