Four men arrested over Daly River unrest as police say tensions decreasing

As four arrests made over the Daly River unrest, the Police Minister says response times could have been quicker had officers not been ‘tied up’ at Lee Point. Warning: Graphic.

Police Minister Brent Potter says more resources could have been deployed to violent unrest at Daly River if there had not been protesters at Lee Point, deflecting criticism over the apparent divide between city and bush emergency responses.

There has been outcry from Daly River residents over the police response to riots terrorising their town, which have left people shot by crossbows, homes burnt, and forced some to seek shelter in nearby bushland.

John Daly told ABC Radio his family were some of the terrified locals camping in the bush, claiming that triple-0 calls had been made two nights in a row, but police took more than 24 hours to respond.

Acting Superintendent Erica Gibson said triple-0 calls were assessed on the “urgency and veracity” of information provided to determine whether police should be recalled to duty, and that officers had been in the Daly River area.

Police say the armed group damaged properties throughout the town.

Homes in Daly River damaged by fire after gang violence erupted in April 2024.

Meanwhile in Darwin, more than a dozen police, including mounted officers, have attended protests against land clearing at Lee Point over the past week.

Mr Potter denied resources were being prioritised in the city.

“Because people want to behave badly at a development site that has full approval, we have to put additional police there to support those security guards,” he said.

“So if you want to get more resources to West Daly, maybe the protesters at Lee Point could go back to work, and go and do other things, and get those resources out there.”

Mr Potter said the Territory Safety Division could have been redeployed sooner had they not been occupied at Lee Point.

“No one should have to leave their home out of fear of being injured, and those police officers (will) remain there (in Daly River) until we make the remaining arrests, and there’ll be high visibility policing in that community.

“But we can’t police our way out of the issues we see in West Daly and some of those communities. Police are a response to an event – what needs to happen is mediation, and we need to see NLC come to the table.”

Speaking a press conference Friday afternoon, deputy Opposition leader Gerard Maley outlined the CLP’s plan to deal with incidents such as Daly River, but gave no definitive response as the to whether the party would try and ban weapons such as crossbows in a bid to quell future violence.

“We haven’t discussed (banning crossbows), what we’re focusing on is keeping the community safe in general,” he said.

“What we want to do on a high level, is change the law to make sure that offenders know, if you commit a crime in the Northern Territory, there’s going to be a consequences.”

Police arrest men after ‘violent’ Daly River disturbances

Earlier, May 3: Northern Territory police have confirmed four men have been arrested in relation to the violence which has plagued the town of Daly River.

The violence, which began on Tuesday, saw houses burnt, residents evacuating the town, people shot with crossbows and gunshots fired in town during the day.

In a statement, police said the arrested males were aged between 18 and 24.

Territory Response Group and the Territory Safety Division have been deployed to the town.

Crime detectives and local officers also comprised the “additional police support” which was deployed to the community, according to the latest police statement.

A group of about 25 people armed with weapons stormed the Northern Territory town of Daly River on April 30, 2024 and caused damage to houses and property.

Acting Superintendent Erica Gibson said the arrests were made on Friday night and on Thursday.

She said the men were expected to be charged with weapons, property and violent conduct offences.

“Constructive discussions with traditional owners, elders and community members, along with the additional police support have resulted in a decrease in community tensions,” she said.

“Police would like to thank the community for their support and the vital information that was provided in regards to these incidents.”

Daly River residents – who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution – said the recent unrest was caused by familial disputes and gang violence.

An crossbow injury. Police say up to 25 people descended on the town April 30 and caused havoc, with residents now evacuating the town.

One source said a new gang, called the Jovi Warriors, were terrorising the town.

The new gang had about 60 members, according to the source.

Another source said about 40 people had evacuated the town to Adelaide River and were now sleeping rough after houses in Daly River were set alight.

Footage circulating on social media showed houses burning, shots being fired and people walking the street with weapons.

One video, which the NT News has witnessed but is choosing not to show, showed a gang of youths beating down the door of a person’s room before they went on to attack the occupant.

Last weekend, the dog squad was deployed in town to arrest three youths who had stolen a LandCruiser.

Acting Superintendent Gibson said anyone with information should contact police on 131 444, or through their local station.

Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.