NT Police reveal cause of ‘staggering’ June crime rate, exposing hidden horror in NT homes

NT Police received an average of 85 call-outs a day from family violence victims seeking help last week. See why crime spiked across the board in the Territory.

Assistant Commissioner Janelle Tonkin said while first responders were working ‘as hard as they possibly could’, ‘we can always do more’. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

A “staggering” number of triple-0 call outs have left police reeling following a busy seven-day period.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Janelle Tonkin said crime rates had increased by 6 per cent across the board, with 5205 incidents between June 5 and June 11.

“It is concerning that we have seen an increase and the numbers are quite staggering,” she said on Tuesday.

NT Police data confirmed there were 283 more call-outs than the previous week, including increases in public order offences, property crimes and violence.

Ms Tonkin said the long weekend, including a number of major events in Darwin and Alice Springs, could have contributed to the higher crime rates.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Janelle Tonkin said crime rates had increased by 6 per cent across the board. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“Crime figures, particularly when you look at them on a short seven day period, will tend to fluctuate quite a bit,” she said.

“When you’ve got more people in the community it does tend to increase slightly those calls for police assistance.”

Ms Tonkin, who also currently leads the Territory Community Safety Group, said more than 10 per cent of all call-outs were to help victims exposed to family violence.

She said police attended 597 domestic violence incidents last week, an average of 85 call-outs a day.

“We know that the Northern Territory is significantly over represented when considering incidences of domestic, family and sexual violence,” she said.

Ms Tonkin said Territory women, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, were most at risk of becoming victims to the often hidden violence.

“In the Northern Territory, there have been 79 women killed by their partners or ex-partners since 2000 — 74 of those women have been Aboriginal,” she said.

Assistant Commissioner Janelle Tonkin said more than 10 per cent of all call-outs were to help victims exposed to family violence. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

It comes on the opening day of what is expected to be a six-month coronial inquest into the deaths of four Aboriginal women killed by their partners.

Ms Tonkin said the “staggering” family violence rates was becoming a tragic reality, with the 597 call-outs a week on the “high end” of typical NT crime trends.

She said police tried to co-ordinate with other agencies to set up holistic, preventive measures, but there was always more that could be done.

“There are a large number of those matters that are already at crisis points,” Ms Tonkin said.

“And that’s why unfortunately, our statistics here with regard to homicide and serious harm as a result of domestic/family violence are so high in the Territory.”

She said responding to domestic violence required the whole community to come together.

“There isn’t a frontline responder or a service sector worker out there that would say that they don’t work as hard as they possibly could to make sure that people are safe — but we can always do more,” she said.

“We need to strengthen ourselves … to make sure that we are doing everything we possibly can to make sure that we are keeping women and children safe.

“And then if you see something, if you are concerned about someone, (make sure) you do actually ring to make that report.”

Originally published as NT Police reveal cause of ‘staggering’ June crime rate, exposing hidden horror in NT homes