‘More police presence would hopefully be a visual deterrent at least for some’: Locals and business backs police operation targeting anti-social behaviour
A POLICE operation targeting anti-social behaviour across Darwin has been backed by businesses and industry leaders
Police & Courts
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A POLICE operation targeting anti-social behaviour across Darwin has been backed by businesses and industry leaders who watched loitering and alcohol related-crime become increasingly worse in the past few years.
The three-day Operation Exstrom started on Wednesday, with a high-visibility police blitz along with Larrakeyah Nation in the Darwin CBD and into the suburbs trying to reduce anti-social behaviour.
Nightcliff Supermarket manager Ben Feick said over the years they have had to turn their shopfront into a fortress in a bid to stop break-ins.
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He said people loitering out the front of the shop posed a nuisance, and noted it had gotten worse.
“We’ve had to deal with it on and off over the last few years; ever since the police station in Nightcliff shut down, we’ve had no patrol, no help in the area,” he said.
“So it’s really good that there’ll be targeting it and hopefully there can be a good outcome from it.”
He said customers had told him they avoided going to his business because they knew they were going to be harassed and bothered.
Darwin resident Simon Nuttall said he had noticed anti-social behaviour especially in the CBD of late. He welcomed the operation.
“More police presence would hopefully be a visual deterrent at least for some of the behaviour that’s been going on,” he said.
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Hospitality NT chief executive Alex Bruce welcomed the operation, but said opening the CBD watch house would free up cops to address the crime issues.
“We support the police efforts in everything they do but … we would hope the watch house would come back online,” he said.
Mr Bruce said alcohol policies in the rest of the Territory had brought people to Darwin, where booze was more accessible.
“Prohibitive policies elsewhere in the Northern Territory have contributed to theses problems and until they are addressed, we just have Band-Aid solutions,” Mr Bruce said.
Chamber of Commerce chief executive Greg Ireland said the current situation was having a negative impact on business.
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