The rampant crime in Alice Springs in now national news. Drastic and immediate action is needed

THE footage aired by A Current Affair recently — scenes of brutal and unrelenting violence on the streets of Alice Springs — was shocking but not surprising.

THE footage aired by A Current Affair recently — scenes of brutal and unrelenting violence on the streets of Alice Springs — was shocking but it was not surprising.

As the town’s mayor, councillors, local members, and business and community leaders all observed, such crime is common in the heart of Australia. Locals are crying out for intelligent, strong leadership on a deeply complex and longstanding issue that is now threatening to tear the community apart.

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For the optimists, the negative coverage will force both the federal and Territory governments to finally confront the elephant in the room, and do something about it. For those less optimistic, the negative attention will just scare away tourists at a time when they’re needed most — right as an expansive tourism campaign is being rolled out across Australia, with the intent to lure domestic holiday-makers to the Red Centre.

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Local business owners, especially tourism operators, are already anxious about the end of JobKeeper, and counting the piled-up losses caused by a dearth of international visitors.

Some politicians will wind up doing the inevitable politicking and buck-passing that’ll no doubt characterise a disappointing amount of the public conversation. Among all that noise, we hope the good ones don’t forget the people suffering as a result of decades of policy failure — and finally do something about it.

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