Jacinta Price says cops must stay in remote communities

A prominent Indigenous figure has called for the federal and territory governments not to pull Commonwealth-funded cops out of remote communities, which is due to happen in 2022.

PROMINENT Indigenous figure Jacinta Price has urged the federal and territory governments not to pull police out of remote communities beyond 2022.

The Alice Springs Deputy Mayor reacted to a powerful opinion piece in the Sunday Territorian by East Arnhem MLA Yingiya Guyula, who called for peacekeepers to be deployed when commonwealth-funded police officers are withdrawn next year.

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Ms Price said peacekeepers would find it hard to control criminals.

“They’re not listening to anybody,” she said.

“If elders aren’t stopping them, how is a peacekeeper going to ensure they stop committing crimes? If people are committing crimes, and very serious crimes, then they need to be dealt with by the law.”

Alice Springs deputy mayor Jacinta Price. Picture: Chloe Elrich

Ms Price called for governments to provide certainty on arrangements post-2022.

Commonwealth funding for remote police, which was put in place during the Intervention, is set to end next year.

“The money for police needs to be reinstated,” she said.

“You just cannot withdraw police from communities – that is very dangerous.

“They’re constantly calling for a police presence in community.”

Ms Price said change needed to come from families.

“You can’t expect that when a child grows up in a society that accepts violence, that they aren’t going to act out in some way, shape or form,” she said.

Children’s Commissioner Sally Sievers was more upbeat about Mr Guyula’s proposal, saying it was “consistent with successful evidence-based approaches in which communities develop localised solutions to ensure safety”.

“The reported proposed approaches that place value on young people and work with their strengths, and those of their families and community to support them as they move through normal developmental stages,” Ms Sievers said.

Sally Sievers is the acting Children’s Commissioner

“The approaches focus on proven preventive actions to underlying issues and to keep children and young people away from the criminal justice system.

“I look forward to speaking with Mr Guyula MLA to gain further insight into the community-led approaches to community safety.”

Mr Guyula’s opinion piece argued peacekeepers could successfully keep children out of prison.

Territory Families Minister Kate Worden said $3.2m was spent annually on youth re-engagement and diversion programs and claimed these schemes were “community-led”.

“By intervening early and ensuring young people understand and face the consequences of their actions, we aim to get young people back on track and away from a life of offending,” Ms Worden said.

She said early intervention and showing youth the consequences of offending helped get kids back on track.