‘We’re getting calls almost every five minutes’: Larrakia Nation patrols ‘flat out’ as itinerant drinking soars

LARRAKIA Nation patrols have taken more than 2700 people to Darwin’s Sobering Up Shelter in the last six months — the equivalent of about 15 each day — and staff expect those numbers to continue to rise

Larrakia Nation patrol staff Beau Craig Moffat, Leimoko Mangwai, Yasmin Good and Willy May at Mindil Beach. Photo: Che Chorley

• Push to establish monitored “wet camp” in Darwin for itinerants
• Calls for action on itinerant drinkers at Mindil Beach

LARRAKIA Nation patrols have taken more than 2700 people to Darwin’s Sobering Up Shelter in the last six months — the equivalent of about 15 each day — and staff expect those numbers to continue to rise.

The latest survey results from Larrakia Nation show they have responded to more than 13,200 call-outs in the last six months to January, the majority of which have involved alcohol.

Patrols also responded to about 5500 incidents at itinerant bush camps over the same period, including 250 of which a person had to be taken to hospital.

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Day patroller Willy May said he was “completely flat out” most days, responding to one alcohol-related call out after another from 5am to 4pm.

“Its been busy for us with all the newcomers in town; we’re getting calls almost every five minutes on the weekend,” he said.

“You got to be calm and collected doing this job; it’s not easy.

“People will sometimes be drunk and threaten you; one bloke said he had a knife in his bag and he’d stab us.

“People have spat on patrollers; some want to fight.”

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Police will be cracking down on anti-social behaviour across Darwin during Operation Extrom from Wednesday to Friday.

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