NT Police granted extra powers against alcohol-fuelled crime in ‘high risk’ Casuarina
The NT government has granted police extra powers to prevent alcohol-fuelled violence in one northern Darwin suburb. Read what officers can now do.
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Authorities have moved to grant police extra powers in an entire northern Darwin suburb.
Casuarina, including the city’s biggest shopping centre, has been declared a “high risk area” under the Territory’s liquor laws.
It allows police to ban someone from entering the zone for up to 14 days and the courts to extend that by up to a year.
The same declaration was already in place for Tennant Creek, Katherine, Darwin, Palmerston and Alice Springs CBDs, which the Prime Minister is visiting on Tuesday on the back of national attention on crime.
The Liquor Act 2019 allows the Alcohol Policy Minister to make the declaration at any time in order to prevent “alcohol-related violence” in a public place, surrounding a licenced premises.
NT Police Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst said the move to make Casuarina a high-risk area was a police-led initiative.
“(It) acknowledges that access to take away alcohol and subsequent anti-social behaviours has impacted negatively on the Casuarina precinct,” he said.
“The declaration allows police to issue banning notices to individuals who cause alcohol fuelled violence, are involved in a crime, display anti-social behaviour or refuse to leave a licenced premises in the high risk area.
“If a person breaches the conditions of a banning notice they can (be) placed on the banned drinkers register.”
Police Minister Kate Worden said on Thursday the Territory’s banned drinkers register was up 800 people this fiscal year, totalling 3600 individuals.
Assistant Commissioner Wurst said NT Police was continually working with Casuarina Square to ensure “a safe shopping experience”.
He said police efforts so far had resulted in less anti-social behaviour and criminal activity around the precinct.
Sentinel Property executive chairman Warren Ebert put extra security at Casuarina Square at “a significant expense” upon taking over ownership of the shopping centre early last year.
Mr Ebert has also been pushing the Territory government to relocate the suburb’s bus interchange, which is a known point of anti-social behaviour.
The “high risk area” declaration can be revoked at any time by Alcohol Policy Minister Natasha Fyles.
“Alcohol-related harm is one of the Territory’s biggest social challenges and no government has done more to curb this issue,” Ms Fyles said.
“From risk-based licensing to the banned drinkers register, from the minimum floor price to our police auxiliary liquor inspectors, and with record funding for alcohol treatment services and domestic, family and sexual violence, we continue to invest heavily in this space,” she said.
“Acting on the advice of the social order response team in the northern suburbs – which includes NT police – the NT government has declared Casuarina a high risk area.”
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