Tourists Are Tops

Tourist Oriented Policing (TOP) involves identifying potential visitor safety and security issues, and providing proactive strategies to prevent incidents such as theft or violence from occurring.

Research shows that tourists are attracted to destinations that are perceived as safe and secure, and are dissuaded from visiting destinations perceived as unsafe. Tourists contribute much to the Queensland economy, and as such police have been collecting information on tourist victims and offenders to help increase their knowledge about the types of problems tourists experience.

Researchers in the Crime Prevention Unit have recently analysed one year’s worth of tourist data collected. One of their findings was that the most common type of offence committed against tourists was property theft (for example, stealing from a vehicle, break and enter or unlawful use of a motor vehicle). Consequently, they also found that the most likely scenes of crime were found to be where tourists reside - holiday accommodation or in recreational locations such as a beach or licensed premises.

This data also showed that the most common type of offences committed by tourists generally occur during recreational activities and often involve alcohol. For instance, the most frequent offences committed by tourists included: drink driving, disorderly behaviour, offensive language, and resisting arrest. Consequently, the most likely scenes of crime were found to be Queensland’s roads and offenders tended to be young men in their twenties.

For more information on the TOP Program contact S/Sgt John Goldsworthy or Joe Nucifora on 3234 2111.