Alice Springs crime: Curfew imposed for Red Centre township for youths under 18
The NT government has placed emergency measures on all children in Alice Springs by imposing a 12-hour nightly curfew. Find out how long it will run for, and what areas are impacted.
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Update, Wednesday 3.30pm: The NT government has placed emergency measures on all children in Alice Springs by imposing a 12-hour nightly curfew.
The curfew comes after violent scenes erupted in the Alice Springs CBD on Tuesday at about 3.30pm, with reports of up to 200 residents involved.
The Todd Tavern was viciously targeted by dozens of people, some kicking, smashing and throwing rocks at the premises’ glass doors.
Vision showed a woman throw a rock at the glass, and staff had to barricade themselves inside.
Chief Minister Eva Lawler on Wednesday afternoon announced a curfew, effective immediately.
As part of the curfew, anyone under the age of 18 would not be allowed out between the hours of 6pm and 6am without a valid reason.
The curfew zone includes the Alice Springs CBD, and will remain in place for 14 days.
Ms Lawler said under the emergency measures, an extra 58 police were deployed to combat crime and anti-social behaviour.
She emphasised the curfew would not “criminalise” children out past curfew, but said anyone caught by police would be “taken home or taken to a safe place”.
Of the extra police assigned, 25 will be officers and 33 Police Auxiliary Liquor Inspectors (PALIs), in addition to the 23 officers from the Territory Safety Division already in town.
Ms Lawler said she and Police Minister Brent Potter would travel to Alice Springs on Wednesday, condemning Tuesday’s scenes as “horrific” and “unacceptable”.
“I’m fed up with this level of crime and anti-social behaviour, the community has had enough and so have I,” she said.
“My government is determined to get on top of the issues, the youth issues in particular in Alice Springs.”
Ms Lawler promised the children taken off the street would go to a safe place.
Currently, one in 20 Alice Springs youths are homeless, domestic violence rates are skyrocketing, and there is a 40 per cent vacancy rate of child protection workers at Territory Families.
Curfew calls have previously been made by Hospitality NT in 2021, and repeatedly by independent MP Robyn Lambley.
NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy said previously he had opposed the curfew due to the “intensive resource allocation” required”, but said cross-agency partnerships could alleviate that pressure.
Mr Murphy said Tuesday’s incident had escalated after the funeral of an 18-year-old from Utopia who had been involved in a horror car crash earlier this month.
“That’s led to family feuds and that’s what erupted in Alice Springs yesterday,” he said.
Commissioner Murphy said more than 50 weapons had been seized in the incident.
He defended engagement with the grieving family, rejecting that police did not do enough to evaluate and try and moderate their grief and “payback” desires.
“There’s elements of those people who did not listen and they made a choice to engage in some really serious violent conduct,” he said.
‘Whatever it takes’: Lawler denies responsibility for Alice Springs crime
Update, Wednesday 10.15am: Chief Minister Eva Lawler could not guarantee Alice Springs’ terrified residents would not see history repeated after a violent skirmish rattled the streets on Tuesday.
Ms Lawler told Mix 104.9’s Katie Woolf on Wednesday that ensuring Alice Springs residents’ safety fell not just to her, but also on NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy.
“We’ll continue to put more police in Alice Springs to make sure the streets of Alice Springs are safe, that we’re on top of the issue of crime in Alice Springs,” she said at 9.50am.
“They know what is needed to keep the town safe, they will allocate resources as required.
“It’s not up to a Chief Minister to tell them how to do their job.”
She said Commissioner Murphy would “look into” increasing police resources in the town.
Ms Lawler said agencies on the ground were meeting on Wednesday to provide advice on the “shocking” situation.
“We need to do whatever it takes to get on top of these issues.”
But Ms Lawler denied needing support from the Australian Federal Police because “they probably don’t have the skill set to be managing violent Aboriginal people”.
“We’ve had that conversation 12 months ago around the role of federal police,” she said.
“We’ve got absolutely outstanding police in the Northern Territory … they understand what needs to be done.”
Northern Territory Police established Operation Munster to co-ordinate investigations into the riot, calling on witnesses to come forward with information.
In a statement police confirmed they were called to the Todd Tavern at 4pm, describing it as “a scene of disorder” as a group of people allegedly damaged the property during a dispute with other people inside the building.
Just before 7pm, officers found about 150 people at Hidden Valley town camp.
Some were going armed in public and engaging in violent conduct, police will allege, and a car and a mattress inside a nearby home were set alight.
Males aged 16, 18, 19, 31, and 50 have been arrested for weapons and other offences relating to the two incidents.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Gray-Spence said: “This is criminal conduct that will be fully investigated and action taken against the perpetrators.”
“Operation Munster has been established to carry out the investigation and co-ordinate our efforts in reviewing CCTV, identifying offenders and taking appropriate action.”
Both Mr Murphy and Ms Lawler will front media later on Wednesday.
‘We need help’: Rioters erupt in violence in Alice Springs CBD
Initial, Wednesday, 9am: Alice Springs business owners and punters were forced to take shelter as a large group of people smashed, kicked and threw rocks at glass doors in the CBD in an afternoon of violence which spanned into the night.
The Todd Tavern was swarmed by up to 70 people at about 3.30pm on Tuesday, with vision showing staff barricaded inside the venue.
Vision obtained by Sky News showed the rioters attempting to smash the tavern’s glass doors – including by running and kicking at the glass.
One woman threw a rock at the door.
But the tavern doors were not the only thing that sustained significant damage – with nearby parked cars also having their windows smashed in.
Sky News also reported witness accounts of people walking through the car park while holding weapons such as crowbars.
Taking to social media in the wake of the terrifying incident, Alice Springs Mayor Matt Paterson condemned the violence as another “horrendous afternoon of damage” to the town.
“Horrendous doesn’t cut it, but I have run out of words,” Mr Paterson said.
“As mayor, it is always difficult to talk about the challenges, due to unintended consequences of our town.
“But I don’t know what else as a community we can do. I don’t know if there is a big enough rooftop to scream from – that we need help.”
Mr Paterson said his thoughts were with the residents who had been forced to take shelter from the violence in buildings.
“Sorry if this sounds dramatic, but we need someone to listen,” he said.
Chief Minister Eva Lawler told the NT News the scenes in Alice Springs were “horrific, unacceptable” and that she never wanted to see “anything like that again” in the NT.
“I’m fed up with this appalling level of crime and anti-social behaviour,” Ms Lawler said.
“The community has had enough, and so have I.
She said police had apprehended those involved.
“They did an excellent job in difficult circumstances,” she said of the police efforts.
NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy and the Territory Safety Division were currently in Alice Springs, she said.
“ … The TSD will remain in Alice Springs for the foreseeable future,” Ms Lawler said.
She acknowledged police needed “more support”, saying she was “working on a comprehensive plan to boost resources” and “lower crime.”
NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy – who had been in the Todd Tavern hours before the alleged incident – told ABC radio on Wednesday morning the group of people involved had been from the Utopia region.
He said they had been in Alice Springs for ceremonial purposes in relation to the death of an 18-year-old who died in a horror rollover on March 8.
“Young people involved in that ceremony took it upon themselves to go to the Todd Tavern, where some other family members were, that they didn’t share a harmonious relationship with, and then started attacking the premises with rocks and bricks,” Commissioner Murphy said.
He estimated the building received more than $30,000 worth of damage in the attack.
Commissioner Murphy said police had arrested a 16 and 18-year-old and that they would be opposing their bail when they appeared in court on Wednesday.
Commissioner Murphy said the violence had continued in Hidden Valley about 7pm Tuesday.
He said about 150 people allegedly “engaged in a violent confrontation with numerous weapons, tomahawks, axes, knives, clubs”.
Commissioner Murphy said three people – aged 19, 31, and 50 – were arrested during that alleged “skirmish”.
“We’ve obviously dispersed the crowd so there was a level of safety, and someone’s taken upon themselves to (allegedly) go and light a car on fire outside one of their residences and then actually light a mattress inside the house,” he said.
“It’s caused significant smoke damage to a residence as well, so that’s under investigation.
“We’ve got a crime scene and an arson investigation underway but today we’ll be doing some swift action to identify everyone else involved in this violent conduct.”
Alice Springs MLA Robyn Lambley also hit out on social media in response to the riot, saying the “violence and crime” in Alice Springs on Tuesday afternoon had been on a “whole new level”.
“The (NT) Police cannot cope with large groups rioting,” Ms Lambley said.
“I will be attempting to communicate with the Chief Minister today on this next chapter in our crime crisis.”
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