SA Police officers deployed to Alice Springs amid crime crisis
South Australian police officers will be deployed to Alice Springs as the town grapples with an out-of-control crime crisis.
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Almost two dozen SA police officers will be deployed to Alice Springs for a fortnight to boost local resources amid a youth crime crisis.
From Wednesday, 20 officers will be deployed to Central Australia on a fortnight-long rotation which will see 10 cops based in the town for one week before being replaced by 10 new officers.
Acting Northern Territory Deputy Police Commissioner Martin Dole, who was acting in the top job on Friday, requested the SA support to help alleviate pressure on staff who are policing a strict curfew which prohibits children from being in the town centre after dark.
The officers, who will be sworn in as special constables next week, will also assist with an influx of people to the town from the APY Lands in South Australia’s Far North and contribute to Operation Grimmel, targeting high-risk offenders and conducting high-visibility patrols.
Mr Dole said several people from the APY Lands had been stranded in Alice Springs due to severe weather events.
“That’s increased the population, so the South Australian police offered to help out and boost our resources so we can return some of our officers to Darwin and continue the heightened police presence in Alice Springs,” Mr Dole said.
The SA officers will be partnered with local Alice Springs officers to perform general duties in the town.
An invoice will be issued to NT Police to cover the cost of deploying the officers after the rotation is complete.
What allowances the officers will be paid and the total cost of the deployment are unclear.
SA Police would not comment on the number of officers being deployed or which policing sections they would be deployed from due to “operational reasons”.
“Police Commissioners throughout Australia have a long standing arrangement to provide assistance when additional policing resources are required,” a spokesman said.
“In accordance with this arrangement South Australia Police periodically provides assistance to interstate jurisdictions.
“At the request of the Northern Territory Police Commissioner, South Australia Police is deploying police officers to the Northern Territory to perform general duties policing in Alice Springs.
“For operational reasons South Australia Police does not comment upon the number of police officers deployed.
“We won’t be providing any further comment on this matter.”
Northern Territory Chief Minister Eva Lawler on Wednesday committed $200 million to deliver an extra 200 police officers to the Territory amid recruitment and retention challenges.
SA Police is facing its own retention issues, with a crippling attrition rate forcing an overseas recruitment drive to attract 200 experienced officers from the United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand.
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