Sydney

Public Safety

For a major city, Sydney has a low crime rate. Few people own firearms, which are strictly regulated, and it is even illegal to carry a knife in a public place without a special reason. Occasional muggings have occurred in the Central Business District, and drug activity has been reported in the Kings Cross and Cabramatta areas.

Sydney is served by the New South Wales Police Service, Australia's oldest law-enforcement organization. With more than 13,300 sworn police officers and 500 police stations, it is also one of the largest in the English-speaking world. In addition to its regular duties, the New South Wales Police force was assigned the task of coordinating security for the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The City of Sydney has adopted the Safe City Strategy to improve security even further through urban design: improved lighting, closed circuit television cameras, emergency video phones, a city safety task force, and community safety education.