Karratha city, WA Crime Rate by Suburb 2023: Is it safe?

According to Western Australia Police Force (WAPOL), Karratha crime rate for the year ending December 2022 was 33451 incidents per 100,000 population. This represents a 24% increase from the previous year.

Karratha Crime Index

12

(100 is safest)

Safer than 12% of most Australia cities

Karratha Crime Map

Is Karratha Safe?

Karratha has moderate safety metrics. Crime rates in Karratha are considerably higher than the average across all communities in Australia. Karratha is safer than 12% of all Australian communities and than 33% of Western Australia cities and towns. However, assault is a common offence in Karratha.

Karratha Crime Statistics at a Glance

Has Crime in Karratha increased or decreased in the past 5 years? The chart below shows the 60-month historical trend of the number of offences that occurred in Karratha.

• The number of criminal incidents recorded by Western Australia Police Force in the year 2022 was 5694, up 24% from 4594 incidents recorded in the same period last year.

• Karratha is in the 33rd percentile for safety, meaning 67% of Western Australia urban areas are safer than Karratha and 33% of urban areas are more dangerous than Karratha.

• Common crime: assault.

• Top areas to avoid: Pegs Creek.

• The number of assault offences recorded in 2022 increased by 26% (148 Incidents) compared to the previous year..

• There was no change in the number of sexual offences recorded during the years 2021 and 2022.

• The number of homicide offences recorded in 2022 increased by 100% (1 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• The number of burglary offences recorded in 2022 increased by 77% (161 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• The number of stealing offences recorded in 2022 increased by 6% (24 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• The number of robbery offences recorded in 2022 decreased by 17% (2 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• The number of motor vehicle thefts recorded in 2022 increased by 30% (32 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

• The number of property damage offences recorded in 2022 increased by 4% (12 Incidents) compared to the previous year.

Crime in Karratha: An In-Depth Analysis

According to AU Crime Rate’s analysis of the latest crime statistics from the Western Australia Police Force (WAPOL), Karratha city is ranked safer than 12% of the cities and towns across Australia, regardless of population size. That means that Karratha crime rate is considerably higher than the average across all communities in Australia.

In Western Australia, only about 67% of communities have a lower crime rate than Karratha. As a result, Karratha has moderate scores in public safety metrics.

If you are a resident of Karratha city, your chance of becoming a victim of crime is 1 in 7 (based on the total crime rate of crimes against the person and property combined) while the Western Australia average is 1 in 13.

Let’s take a closer look at Karratha’s crime statistics and see how it fares in terms of crimes against person and property crimes. This information is crucial because it can shed light on whether violent or property crimes or both, are the primary factors driving Karratha’s overall crime rate. So, are you curious to learn more about Karratha’s crime data and what they reveal about the community’s safety and security? Let’s dive in!

AU Crime Rate’s analysis reveals that against the person crime rate in Karratha is 5287 per one hundred thousand inhabitants while the Western Australia average rate is 2158. So, one’s chances of becoming a victim of crimes against the person in Karratha is 1 in 18. The crimes against the person included in this analysis are homicide, assault, sexual offences, robbery, deprivation of liberty, and threatening behaviour.

From our analysis, we discovered that your odds of becoming a victim of a property crime if you live in Karratha is 1 in 12. This is equal to a rate of 7620 per one hundred thousand residents compared to a rate of 4822 per 100000 residents for Western Australia state. It’s worth mentioning that the property crimes tracked here include stealing, stealing of motor vehicles, burglary, arson, and property damage.

Karratha Crime Rates by Offences Division

Karratha Crimes Against the Person

These are violent crimes against people whether these are family violence or non-family violence. Basically, if someone does something to hurt or scare another person, it’s considered a crime against the person. This includes:

• Assault and related offences: There are different types of assault, like serious assault, which is when someone causes severe injuries as a result of a physical attack, and assault on police, emergency services, or other authorised officers, which is when someone attacks a cop or a paramedic or someone doing their job. There’s also common assault, which is like when someone threatens to punch you or makes you feel scared for your safety.
  
• Robbery: There are two types of robbery or mugging: aggravated and non-aggravated. Aggravated robbery is when someone uses a weapon like a knife or a firearm (armed robbery) or causes serious harm to the victim during the robbery, like hitting them with a bat or a gun. Non-aggravated robbery is when someone doesn’t use a weapon or cause serious harm during the robbery but still uses force or the threat of force to take something from the victim.
  
• Deprivation of Liberty: This offence typically involves unlawfully detaining or confining another person against their will. The essence of this offence is the intentional restriction of a person’s freedom of movement without lawful excuse or their consent.
  
• Threatening behaviour: This represents harassing or threatening someone based on their race, skin colour, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or disability, in what’s known as hate crimes. It also includes insulting someone, cyberbullying, and cyberstalking.

My Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Crime Against the Person

Crimes Against the Person Comparison (Per 100,000 Residents)

Crimes Against the Person: Karratha vs Western Australia

Karratha Against Property offences

These are crimes related to stealing or damaging property or deceiving someone for personal gain. Property crimes include:

• Stealing: It can be committed in various forms such as shoplifting, stealing from a person’s home, or taking a vehicle without permission. Other examples include stealing a bicycle, snatching a purse, or taking items from an unattended bag.
  
• Burglary (unlawful entry): Aggravated and non-aggravated burglaries are examples of burglary. Aggravated burglary involves the use of weapons, threats, or violence during the break-in, while non-aggravated burglary does not involve such factors.
  
• Arson: Arson is a criminal act of intentionally setting fire to a property, building, or forest (bushfire)  without lawful or justifiable reason.
  
• Property damage: This refers to intentional or accidental harm caused to someone else’s property, such as vandalism, or graffiti.

My Chances of Becoming a Victim of Against Property offences

Crimes Against Property Comparison (Per 100,000 Residents)

Against Property offences: Karratha vs Western Australia

Other Offences

The category of other offences encompasses a range of unlawful activities such as drug-related violations, graffiti vandalism, various forms of fraud and related deceptive practices, as well as contraventions of Violence Restraining Orders. These offences, while distinct in nature, all fall under the broader umbrella of criminal activities that are subject to legal penalties.

Other Offences Comparison (Per 100,000 Residents)

Other Offences: Karratha vs Western Australia

Karratha Crimes per Square KM

How many murders in in 2022?

According to Western Australia Police Force (WAPOL), there were 1 homicides in Karratha city in 2022. It’s important to note that this figure includes all homicides, not just murders.

What’s the most common crime in Karratha city?

According to the latest available data from Western Australia Police Force (WAPOL), the most common type of crime in Karratha city is assault.

What is the crime rate in Karratha city?

The overall crime rate in Karratha city, as measured by the number of reported offences per 100,000 population was 33451 in the year ending December 2022.

However, it’s important to note that this is an aggregate figure that includes all types of crime, and some types of offences are more prevalent than others. Additionally, crime rates can vary by location, with some areas experiencing higher rates of certain types of crime than others.

Is Karratha city a safe place to live in?

Karratha city is safer than 12% of cities and towns across Australia and the crime rates are considerably higher than the average across all communities in Australia. Compared to Western Australia cities and towns, Karratha city is safer than 33% of other communities in the state which are considered moderate safety scores in Western Australia.

What suburb has the highest crime rate in Karratha city?

Pegs Creek is the suburb with the highest rate of reported criminal incidents in Karratha city with a rate of 42747 incidents per 100,000 population, according to BOCSAR 2022 data. Pegs Creek is safer than only 14% of Karratha city suburbs.

What is the safest suburb in Karratha city?

Bulgarra is the safest suburb in Karratha city with a rate of 17149 incidents per 100,000 population as per the BOCSAR report. Bulgarra is safer than 37% of Karratha city suburbs.

However, it’s important to note that low crime rates do not necessarily guarantee safety, and that crime can occur anywhere. Hence, it’s essential always to stay vigilant and take appropriate safety measures.

Karratha Crime Rate by Suburb

Note: This article doesn’t have detailed data for family violence, victims, female offenders, reoffending, stalking, and youth crime. For more information about these topics, check our resources page.

References

• Western Australia Police Force (WAPOL)
• Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Census QuickStats for all persons