Strike Force Viper collects more than 100 evidence briefs against youths in first seven weeks of operation in Alice Springs
ALICE Springs’ new youth crime task force has submitted more than 100 briefs of evidence from youth crime incidents in just seven weeks.
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- Chief Minister Michael Gunner visits Alice Springs for meeting over town’s spiralling youth crime wave
- Police strike force set up to tackle spiralling youth crime wave in Alice Springs
ALICE Springs’ new youth crime task force has submitted more than 100 briefs of evidence from youth crime incidents in just seven weeks.
According to data from Strike Force Viper, obtained by the NT News, 217 prosecution files have been submitted since the strike force began operating on October 14.
Of those files, 122 were related to property offences, and 106 were submitted against youth offenders
The data comes as Chief Minister Michael Gunner and Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison visited Alice Springs yesterday to discuss the youth crime wave gripping the Red Centre.
They met with Southern Commander Craig Laidler and police officers serving in Strike Force Viper, which was established to tackle property crime and car thefts.
“I’m really encouraged by the progress that Strike force Viper is making. It’s their job to catch criminals and that’s exactly what they are doing,” Mr Gunner told the NT News.
“Tackling crime and anti-social behaviour is a big wheel that turns slowly. I know it’s frustrating, I’m frustrated too. We’ve just got to keep working, keep pushing.”
Mr Gunner confirmed Strike Force Viper “is here for good”.
He also met with the team running Operation Lunar, and visited the trial 24-hour youth drop-in centre, two other measures recently implemented by the government to reduce youth offending.
Mr Gunner will not be making any public appearances during his visit, and will instead attend a series of closed-door meetings and briefings with tourism sector representatives, small business owners, the local Chamber of Commerce, and with the Central Australian Reconstruction Commission.
But Mr Gunner won’t be meeting with local elected members, which has frustrated independent Araluen MLA Robyn Lambley.
“Michael Gunner has never met with me in Alice Springs, ever. Why wouldn’t he meet with the longest-serving Alice Springs member within the NT parliament, when he comes to my town to speak about the issues that affect my electorate?”
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Ms Lambley was generally sceptical of the trip.
“I suspect this visit will not be much different from any other visit he’s made to Alice Springs, in that it will be carefully choreographed to exclude any contact with anyone who has an opinion different to his,” she said.
“He should be fronting up to a few focus groups where a few locals are randomly selected to talk to the Chief Minister about their concerns, so he can sit in a safe environment with some people who will give him an honest and fair appraisal of what the people of Alice Springs are thinking.
“That’s the bit he doesn’t fully comprehend. Until he does, I don’t think his response will ever be adequate.”
Braitling MLA Joshua Burgoyne said he appreciated the Chief Minister’s visit but said his trips needed to happen more often.
“People here are frustrated. They feel like the Chief Minister comes down here to tick a box, say that he’s been here, and then leaves.
“The reality is he is the Chief Minister of the entire Northern Territory, not just Darwin and Palmerston. Alice Springs is the second biggest centre in the Territory outside those places. He needs to be here more regularly to better understand what the people of this town need.”
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Mr Burgoyne also questioned why he and other elected representatives from the Alice Springs area hadn’t been offered to meet with Mr Gunner, or to attend any of the scheduled briefings.
Alice Springs Mayor Damien Ryan said he hadn’t been offered to meet with Mr Gunner either, but said “my door is always open to the Chief Minister”. Mr Ryan commended the work of both Strike Force Viper and the trial 24-hour youth centre in trying to reduce youth crime.
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