Vandals trash 10 cars in Nightcliff crime spree

Social housing residents awoke on Tuesday to find their vehicles undriveable. Read why.

Cars trashed in public housing carpark

Residents of a Nightcliff social housing complex built just metres from the $12m neighbourhood police station woke on Tuesday to find their car windscreens smashed.

Ten vehicles were vandalised in the spree, with residents saying they felt they had been abandoned by housing provider Venture, and Territory Housing.

The vandalism took place sometime around 1.30am, with residents blaming the failure to reattach the front security gate at the apartment complex.

Resident Junella Scott, whose car was one of the 10 trashed, said vandals had ripped the front security gate from its anchor last week and it had still not been replaced.

She said despite the heavy concentration of CCTV cameras at the police station and in the complex, crime and anti-social behaviour were “out of control”.

She was seething at the inconveneince of the smashed windscreen and the repair cost, which she said would likely keep her off the road for an extended amount of time.

Junella Scott and Paul Holden with Nightclff police station in the background.

“It’s actually getting worse here every night,” she said.

“I can’t sleep beause there’s a woman screaming and the (landlords) don’t do anything about it.

“I’m a carer as well and now I can’t drive. Nobody should have to put up with this sort of situation and nobody’s doing anything to help.”

E-scooter owner and complex resident Paul Holden escaped the impacts of the vandalism, but has to face the day-to-day grind and challenges of living in social housing.

The three complexes in Boetdoemba Street were built over three years by the Territory Government at the site of the old John Stokes housing complex.

One of the vandalised cars.

They were initially flagged to be seniors and disability accommodation by the previous Labor Government, but in reality they are more like public housing.

The Labor Government also built a police station at the site they promised would be fully operational 24-7.

In reality, the facility opens about 8am, closes by 4pm and has zero local impact on local policing operations.

Mr Holden said during the course of Monday night he heard what he thought were bottles smashing.

About 2.30am he called police after a man in a wheelchair was assaulted, which was when he first identified the vandalism.

“Thre’s a police station with no police in it,” he said.

“A complete waste of taxpayer money.”

Assistant Commissiner Travis Wurst held out little hope Nightcliff police station would be extended to a 24-7 operation.

“We’ll always consider and reconsider our options based on demand, staffing, availability,” he said.

Territory Housing and Venture Housing have been contacted for comment.

Originally published as Vandals trash 10 cars in Nightcliff crime spree