Alice Springs business owner supports crime-fighting role with one condition

A Home Like Alice co-owner Justin Pengilly supports a new role with the NT Chamber of Commerce focussing on issues around crime under one condition. SEE WHAT IT IS.

UPDATE MONDAY, MAY 30: AN ALICE Springs business owner has supported the recruitment of a business liaison officer specialising in issues around crime on one condition, “we don’t want a talking head, we want ... action”.

UPDATE MONDAY, MAY 30: AN ALICE Springs business owner has supported the recruitment of a business liaison officer specialising in issues around crime on one condition, “we don’t want a talking head, we want ... action”.

A Home Like Alice co-owner Justin Pengilly said he supported the NT Chamber of Commerce for a local officer that worked with its chief operations officer to initiate, support, co-ordinate and report on efforts by the chamber to reduce the impact of crime on business on one condition.

“Firstly I think it is a great idea of the Chamber of Commerce to do this,” Mr Pengilly said.

“My only stipulation would be that the person who wins the position has a business background and has lived in Territory for a considerable time so they can understand exactly what has been happening in the NT.

“We don’t want a talking head, we want understanding and action.”

Mr Pengilly also expressed concerns about the lack of attention from “both sides” of the government and said that they didn’t seem to care or understand the massive problems that are ongoing in the Territory.

“We seriously have a problem in the Territory and Australia where politicians don’t seem to (care) or understand and frankly they all seem to live in a bubble and have blinkers on with what goes on in the real world with all of us day to day people,” he said.

In the 12 months to March 31, commercial break-ins across the Territory increased from 1563 to 2489, a surge of 59.25 per cent on the previous year and the largest crime cohort increase.

NT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE’S NEW CRIME-FIGHTING ROLE

UPDATE MONDAY, MAY 23: SURGING commercial property crime across the Northern Territory has prompted a desperate search for ideas.

NT Chamber of Commerce, the Territory’s largest business association, is in the process of recruiting a business liaison officer to specialise in issues around crime and anti-social behaviour.

Based in Alice Springs, the officer will work with the chamber’s chief operations officer to initiate, support, co-ordinate and report on efforts by the chamber to reduce the impact of crime and anti-social behaviour on business.

The job description says the role will be ‘responsible for the day-to-day operations of the project ensuring there is alignment to the project scope and goals’.

In the 12 months to March 31, commercial break-ins across the Territory increased from 1563 to 2489, a surge of 59.25 per cent on the previous year and the largest crime cohort increase.

NT Chamber chief executive Greg Ireland said the appointment was a response to growing commercial crime across the Territory.

The officer will be based in Alice Springs but will serve Chamber members across the Northern Territory.

“The Chamber’s looking to employ an Alice Springs person to help deal specifically with crime and anti-social behaviour in Central Australia and Barkly regions and the Top End,” Mr Ireland said.

“It’s based in Alice Springs because that’s where most of the significant issues are in our view and we will service the Territory out of the region.

“It’s certainly a unique appointment in a Northern Territory context as far as I’m aware. The Chamber wants to do as much as it can to support business and while we can’t actually protect each business we can provide them with support if there is a crime.”

Mr Ireland said he hoped changes at the top within the NT government would bring about a fresh approach to tackling crime.

“With a change in Chief Minister we’re very hopeful the focus will shift,” he said.

“We’ve always held the opinion we need a more prominent focus on crime and we’re hoping that will be a potential upside with the leadership change.”

Recently, Property Council NT executive director called on the government to create a commissioner’s role overseeing youth justice measures.

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles is expected to visit Alice Springs on Thursday.

CRIME AFFECTING REMOTE STUDENTS

UPDATE TUESDAY MAY 16: THE Country Liberal Party (CLP) says the level of crime in Alice Springs has gotten so bad that families with students enrolled in the School of the Air have stopped coming to town to attend contact weeks.

Member for Katherine Jo Hersey made the stunning claim during Question Time in parliament on Wednesday, asking Chief Minister Natasha Fyles what she had to say to the children missing out on their education.

The School of the Air is a distance education school for students living on cattle stations and in remote parts of Central Australia.

“This has been a heartbreaking decision for parents, knowing the rare and valuable opportunity it is for their child,” the CLP Member said.

In response, Ms Fyles said she would work with the community to deal with these “difficult issues”.

“We need to hear the community voices and have tailored responses. That is what we will do,” she said.

The crime rate in Alice Springs has escalated in recent months.

The chamber descended into a shouting match when Ms Fyles subsequently slammed the CLP’s youth crime policy, which was met with a cacophony of interjections.

“I will paint the contrast,” Ms Fyles continued.

“The CLP’s policy on youth crime is simply to lock them up.

“They want to move the youth justice system back into Corrections and cut the supports to those services.”

Ms Fyles took a further swipe at the Opposition over their budget reply, which she said lacked key details.

“There were a lot of ideas, a lot of fluff and talk, but there was no direction on how they would pay for those measures,” she said.

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles says her government will listen to community in responding to crime. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“They will cut services. They have done it before and they will do it again.

“On this side of the House we have put in place significant measures and we will continue to listen to our community. We want to have local ideas, local solutions and tailored responses.”

Ms Fyles concluded by pointing to her party’s record spend on police resources in the 2022-23 Territory budget and the increase to the completion rate of community service orders by offenders.

“What we see on my sheet in 2020–21, 61 per cent of young people who successfully completed their community orders, up from 40 per cent when the CLP was in government,” she said.

“This is hard grinding work. You do not see the results overnight – that is why it is so easy for you on that side of the House to cut these services when you get the privileged position of being in government.”

The revelation comes after Alice Springs residents attended a special council meeting to discuss community concerns over crime.

COUNCIL DECLARES CRIME CRISIS AN ‘EMERGENCY’

ALICE Springs Council declared the crime crisis in the town an ‘emergency’ and resolved to call on the NT government for a response, at a special meeting on Tuesday night.

The motion approved at the meeting included the council calling on the NT government to secure mental health support for victims of crime as well as financial compensation.

Councillors also requested an immediate launch of substantial action by the NT government that may include a curfew and an extended usage of drones, among other things.

Deputy Mayor Eli Melky opened the special meeting by expressing that he felt the council had full capability to handle the situation.

“The motion I have drafted should be seen as a starting point,” Cr Melky said.

“Over the years I can tell you first hand experience that this council by far is the most capable council of being united and being able to achieve in a way that involves little, if any politics.

“I am inclined and encouraged that tonight’s discussion will in fact be along those lines and in fact I am hopeful that by the end of the night people will take two things out of this evening. One, of hope, and one of that these elected members listened.”

Cr Mark Coffey said the solution laid within the police being able to do more to prevent crime.

‘The police are now trying to do their job with their hands tied behind their back,” he said.

“I do think that they want to do things, they want to deal with these kids because primarily they’re causing a lot of the grief but they can’t do it.”

About 40 people attended the meeting.

CALL FOR NEW COMMISSIONER TO COMBAT YOUTH CRIME

A LEADING Territory industry group wants the NT government to appoint an independent Commissioner to evaluate and assess resources available for youth and justice in Alice Springs, in a bid to address rising crime.

NT Property Council of Australia executive director Ruth Palmer has prepared a report to present to the NT government seeking a response to worsening youth crime and unacceptable levels of anti-social behaviour in Alice Springs.

The report coincides with a special council meeting in Alice Springs on Tuesday night to discuss surging crime.

Ms Palmer said the spike in Alice Springs crime reflected worsening property crime and unacceptable behaviour.

“This issue is having a profound impact on population growth and retention, our tourism industry, the economy and of course, the community sentiment,” she said.

“It’s evident Alice Springs community members are at a loss what to do next.

“We heard stories about workers being pinned down while their business was ransacked, thousands and thousands being spent on glaziers and repairs and, of course, the rising costs of insurance.

“We believe that issue of property crime needs to be front and centre of the incoming Chief Minister, Natasha Fyles and her government.”

Ms Fyles, who will travel to Alice Springs next week, said she would work with residents around difficult issues.

The key recommendation of the Property Council’s report is for the appointment of an independent Commissioner responsible for analysing and reporting on all departments, including education, families, children, housing, police, domestic violence services and the law, dealing with youth and justice. The report quotes from the 2010 Report of the Board of Inquiry into the Northern Territory’s Child Protection System, which says child protection systems must consider the broader well-being and developmental needs of children in the context of the families, communities and schools where they live, grow and are educated.

A key component of the board of inquiry addressed concerns raised by residents of 15 Aboriginal communities that cited support with parenting as one of their highest needs.

Parents confided to the inquiry that it was difficult for them to establish and stick to enforcing boundaries, which had resulted in criminal activity and disorder in Alice Springs. The inquiry says possible interventions in remote communities could include childhood home-visiting initiatives, parenting skills training and parent-child attachment based programs, community development and healing strategies and programs.

Alice Springs deputy mayor Eli Melky said there was a crime issue, “from home invasions to serious assault on members of the public to sexual assault by youth on members of the public to car theft to illegal use of vehicles as weapons of destruction, to property damage to shops”.