Hundreds sign Katherine anti-crime petition calling for curfew, expanded banned drinking register

Crime rates are skyrocketing and business owners are spending thousands trying to protect buildings from break-ins, prompting residents in Katherine to call for change.

More than 800 Katherine residents have signed a petition calling for a curfew for young children among other measures aimed at tackling the town’s crime crisis.

Local MLA Jo Hersey tabled the petition in parliament Wednesday, calling on the government to “restore some measure of law and order”.

“Territorians are saying ‘enough is enough’ not just in Alice Springs and Darwin but in Katherine as well,” Mrs Hersey said.

“Katherine locals are passionate about their town and it breaks their heart to see such disregard for the law from criminals.”

Giving police the power to tip out alcohol consumed in public, an audit of Katherine non-government organisations and extending the banned drinking register to all licensed venues were some of the key suggestions the petition put forward.

Petitioners also called for measures specifically targeting youth crime.

They included a curfew for children under the age of criminal responsibility, engagement officers appointed to immediately follow-up with children who fail to attend school and shops being required to refuse service to children during school hours unless accompanied by a responsible adult.

NT Police currently do have the power to tip out alcohol and staff at shops have the right to refuse service.

Trent de With is worried about the impact that PFAS concerns may have on the Katherine tourism industry. Picture: Keri Megelus

Trent de With, manager of family-owned business Rod & Rifle Tackleworld Katherine, signed the petition and already has a note on the front door saying “no school, no service”.

“My whole life is trying to kick people out that are under 15 who are trying to steal stuff,” the 34-year-old said.

Mr de With estimated he had spent between $60,000 to $70,000 trying to protect the business from crime with things like window bars, roller screens and CCTV cameras.

“It’s all about being able to sleep at night, I’m constantly looking for the next weak spot and trying to fix it,” he said.

The business was hit on Wednesday night when a group of young children smashed windows with rocks, according to Mr de Whit.

“It’s mentally draining. We keep getting dragged back into the crime gutter, until that reduces we’ll always be focused on the negative things and can’t look at all the positive things about Katherine,” he said.

Rod & Rifle Tackleworld CCTV shows a would-be truck thief stopped by security poles. Picture: Supplied.

Mr de With employed local youths at his shop, hosted fishing trips and had been involved as a YMCA mentor.

Having seen first-hand the positive impact role models can have, he believes lack of parental responsibility is the key issue behind youth crime.

“There’s kids that want and need positive role models but they get swept up into doing things they don’t really want to do,” he said.

“Why aren’t their parents being held accountable? If they don’t have a responsible adult then why are they being dropped home to them?”

Jo Pace, general manager of the Knott’s Crossing Resort, said “the government has blood on their hands” over failures to tackle crime.

The resort had an incident on Wednesday night in which a guest broke windows, smashed cars, and left “blood everywhere”, Ms Pace said.

Ms Pace was “really proud” of Katherine, and feared anti-social behaviour would keep visitors from exploring the town.

“It does affect our tourism market which is such a shame because we’ve got a great offering here,” she said.

Police Minister Kate Worden and NT Police assistant commissioner Michael Murphy

Police Minister Kate Worden said the Territory government was listening to the concerns of community and businesses.

“A suite of measures have been introduced which will make workplaces safer and address community concerns surrounding alcohol and violent offences,” she said.

“Police have begun targeting known hotspots with high visibility patrols, we have introduced stronger bail laws with a presumption against bail for co-offenders who participate in violent offences involving a weapon, even if they do not possess the weapon themselves. Those laws were urgently passed through parliament.”

Ms Worden also pointed to the government’s voluntary buyback scheme of grocery store liquor licences announced this week, the relaunching of the Alcohol Secure Program, and a workplace safety review to be undertaken on late night retail outlets across the Territory.

NT Katherine Mayor Elisabeth Clark would like to see more alcohol restrictions enforced across the whole Territory. Picture: Supplied.

Crime rates jumped significantly in Katherine last year.

In the year to January, property offences were up over 80 per cent on the average across the decade prior.

Offences against the person, including murders, assaults and robbery, were up 57 per cent over the same period.

Katherine Mayor Elisabeth Clark said the anti-crime petition reflected residents “frustration”.

Ms Clark would like to see more alcohol bans applied across the whole Territory, arguing Alice Springs restrictions pushed anti-social behaviour north as people travelled in search of booze.

“You can’t put restrictions in one place and not everywhere else,” she said.

“When they made changes in Alice Springs, it moved further north.”

The owner of a retail business in Katherine said she had been “lucky” to have had just one break in.

The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, did not believe restrictions or a curfew would reduce crime in the long term.

“There’s always kids on the street out way too late and we know why that is,” she said.

“I’d really like to see more support for the parents of the kids on the streets who are breaking into places because they’re hungry, because they don’t feel safe at home.”