Just Released: ID Scanners Research
The Australian Institute of Criminology has today released its latest Trends and Issues Paper ‘ID Scanners in the night-time economy: Social sorting or social order?‘. The paper, authored by Deakin’s Darren Palmer, Ian Warren and Peter Miller examines from a study undertaken in Geelong (Victoria) where mandatory ID scanning was introduced in 2007. The study aimed to measure the effectiveness of this scheme in reducing violence, as measured by reported assaults and emergency department admissions.
The findings reveal limited empirical support for claims that alcohol-related assaults in and around Geelong’s late-night venues have declined since the introduction of mandatory ID scanners. Click here to access the paper.
In response to the Report’s release, several Australian newspapers ran articles on the findings:
- The Herald Sun ran an article on 20 December 2013 warning of the dangers of ID scanners. The article, ‘ID scanners put thousands at risk of identity theft’ quotes Deakin Criminology’s Darren Palmer discussing the high risk of data being misused by crime gangs. Read the full article by Alex White here.
- The Sydney Morning Herald ran an article, ‘Report raises privacy concerns over nightclub scanners’ by Kirsty Needham on 22 December 2013 discusses the implications of the research in relation to the recent NSW O’Farrell Government decision to postpone a trial of identity scanners in Kings Cross. Read the full article here.
Read an interview with lead author, Darren Palmer, and more details about the research here.