Alice Springs businesses, locals query ‘crime plummet’

Alice Springs business owners and managers say crime has reduced compared to the summer period, while others say another spike is happening now.

Alice Springs locals are questioning NT Police data that claims crime is “plummeting” in the town, with some stating a crime “spike” has occurred.

Thrifty Downtown Alice Springs manager Steve Shearer was dealing with an office break-in and a stolen vehicle on Thursday morning.

Mr Shearer said suggestions crime had plummeted in the town was “bullshit”.

“I’ve been speaking to a few people and the past couple of days I think it (crime) has actually spiked.

Mr Shearer said he was reluctant to publicise the crimes as he believed it gave kids “bragging rights”.

“What I saw this morning was four roughly 15-year-olds break in, and then because there was a hole in the door two other kids came in, and they can’t have been more than 10.

“These are kids, at 4am in the morning.

“We’ve got to do something, these kids need to be given some love.”

Mr Shearer said he was reluctant to publicise the crimes because he believed social media circulation gave kids “bragging rights” alongside negative media coverage that had hit the tourism industry hard.

“It’s hurting, tourism is really hurting, and that includes us,” he said.

However, Matt, a manager at the Alice Springs Cinema, who did not want his last name published, said crime had “definitely decreased” in the month of February.

Data from NT Police shows crime has plummeted in Alice Springs between January and February of this year, but many believe it does not show the full picture.

“We had three break-ins in two weeks in January but we’ve had none in February,” he said.

Matt said there was a “bit of a pattern” in Alice Springs where the “town screams for help”, politicians arrived resulting in a “big exodus” of perpetrators, who then often return months later.

Another business owner, who did not want to be named, said while crime had decreased, it was only in comparison to a massive rise over the summer period.

On Wednesday, it was reported data from NT Police showed domestic violence rates had dropped by a third, and break-ins had halved in the town between January and February.

NT Country Liberal Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said of the drop, that it was “one thing to read police statistics” and “another thing to understand the situation on the ground in Alice Springs”.

“After speaking with local alcohol rehabilitation services, it’s been brought to my attention that there has been a drop in police referrals to ‘dry out’ shelters, but a doubling of hospital referrals.”

She said the issues in Alice Springs could not be solved with “quick fix” solutions, with long-term solutions to “ensure the safety of residents” needed.