NT call on SA for more officers to police Alice Springs curfew
Almost two dozen South Australian police officers will be sent to central Australia after the implementation of a youth curfew in Alice Springs.
Almost two dozen police officers will be sent to central Australia from South Australia after a request from the Northern Territory police commissioner after implementation of a youth curfew in Alice Springs last week.
NT Chief Minister Eva Lawler was on the ground in Alice Springs on Thursday and Friday to assess the impact of the curfew she implemented just over a week ago as she considers the next steps to be taken in the beleaguered town after months of violence on the streets.
Just over a week ago, children under 18 in Alice Springs were forced off the streets from 6pm to 6am in a move aimed at stopping the riots and violence that have plagued the red centre for months, with police and sources on the ground noticing a significant drop in illegal behaviour such as parading stolen cars in town.
After batting away challenges from the police union to the legality of the curfew earlier in the week, Ms Lawler, who faces an election in August, met with police, social enterprise organisations, schools and locals over the 1½ day trip.
Following a positive response to it from most members of the Alice Springs community, Ms Lawler is considering an extension to the curfew.
Independent MLA Robyn Lambley, whose calls over the years for a curfew had fallen on deaf ears, said those aged 17 and 18 should be considered to not be included in the curfew and the timing of the curfew should be considered.
She also slammed local Aboriginal council Tangentyere, which receives millions of dollars a year in taxpayer funding to run town camps in Alice Springs, for “not pulling their weight” and failing to fulfil legal obligations to provide support and welfare services. “Tangentyere are not fulfilling their obligations as a part of … the numerous contracts they have with the NT government to manage and provide support and welfare services to the people in the town camps. They are negating their responsibility,” she said.
Next week, 20 SA police officers will arrive in central Australia to allow for continued “high presence, high-visibility policing”.
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