Calls for permanent police presence in Karama, Darwin, rejected by NT government

The NT government has rejected calls to station cops in one northern suburb, despite the demands being backed by more than 1000 residents and a member of their own party.

Calls to have a permanent police presence in one crime-afflicted northern suburb have been turned down, despite having the support of more than 1000 residents.

Police Minster Kate Worden has rejected demands, including from those within her own party, to put a 24/7 police presence in the Karama Shopping Plaza.

The knock-back comes more than two months after a petition, signed by 1168 residents, was put to the NT parliament.

Karama has a population of about 4800, according to the latest Census data.

In a letter responding to the petition Karama MLA Ngaree Ah Kit and Waters Ward Councillor Brian O’Gallagher put forward, Ms Worden claimed crime in the area had dropped over the past 12 months.

Despite being just a few kilometres from the Nightcliff and Casuarina police stations, the petition says escalating crime and anti-social behaviour in Karama is “destroying the lifestyle of local residents”. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford

“The implications and recurrent costs for staffing another permanent police presence have been trialled previously, with shopfronts and police beats at Palmerston, Parap and Casuarina shopping precincts,” the letter read.

“They have proven to be an uneconomical, ineffective and costly alternative to responsive mobile patrols, with resources being directed from other areas.

“Additionally, a use of a police caravan has also been trialled in the past at Karama, with the results showing that a police response, as required, with regular proactive patrols was a more appropriate allocation of police resources.

“A review of incidents reported throughout 2022 from the Karama Shopping Centre indicate a decrease over the last 12 months, while other suburbs in the response area show an equal demand on policing resources.”

The petition was tabled by Karama MLA and Labor member Ngaree Ah Kit. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Ms Ah Kit said she was continuing to look at localised solutions to crime in her patch.

“A permanent police presence in the Karama electorate is something I’ve looked at for longer than five years now,” Ms Ah Kit said.

“I continue to have conversations with my colleague, Minister Worden, and continue to support police for the incredible work they do.

“The fact of the matter is police can’t be everywhere, at every time, for every person, and I really understand that.”

$1m price tag for private dog patrols

Ms Ah Kit has, however, been successful in funding private security company Neptune NT to conduct dog patrols every evening in Karama and neighbouring suburb Malak.

The measure is costing the NT Government almost $250,000 per quarter.

“The Public Order Response Unit is very welcome in my electorate,” Ms Ah Kit said.

“They are doing a brilliant job, they are supplementing the incredible work that our NT Police do.”

The patrols see two security officers and a dog roam around Karama and Malak every night, from 5pm to 1am.

Mr O’Gallagher said the dog patrol funding, which would reach almost $1m per year if continued, would be better spent on delivering more police officers to the area.

“Nothing is more effective in deterring crime than officers in blue uniforms being very visible and engaging our community at our shopping centres and patrolling our streets,” Mr O’Gallagher said.

“The minister claims that the number of incidents in Karama has reduced over the last 12 months.

“Certainly this doesn’t reflect the feedback I get from local residents – and possibly residents have stopped reporting incidents because they see no action taken.

“The minister also says the establishment of a permanent police presence in Karama would not be cost effective.

“Obviously the NT Government didn’t take this advice when they spent millions on the construction of a large police station at Nightcliff.

“Let me be clear – we are simply asking for a permanent police presence at Karama.

“This could just be a mobile caravan at the shops or leasing a nearby building – such as the vacant childcare centre across from the petrol station on Kalymnos Drive.”

Where are the police?

The Nightcliff Police Station, which is about 9km from Karama Shopping Plaza, was found to have just half the number of staff for which it was designed.

The $11m building opened in December last year and has been described by the CLP as “nothing more than a glorified office space”.

Casuarina Police Station is also located just 4km from Nightcliff, and 7km from Karama.

Upon its opening in December, the Nightcliff Police Station had just 35 staff instead of 70, as it was designed for. Picture: Glenn Campbell

In September, NT Police rejected the City of Darwin’s offer of a CBD shopfront to house a new police beat.

“Police beats have been tried and tested across the NT over the years and have proven to be inefficient and ineffective in improving social amenity,” Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst said.

“They in fact have the reverse effect as intended by tethering staff unnecessarily to a facility and reducing the capability of police to deliver responsive and mobile policing services.”

In light of these issues, NT Police Association President Paul McCue has called for an immediate suspension of the Territory’s Police Auxiliary Liquor Inspector, saying it would lead to more police on the streets where they are needed.

“We have sworn police officers standing out the front of bottle shops as security guards in Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs,” Mr McCue said in a column for the NT News.

NTPA President Paul McCue says it is “abundantly clear” the role of PALIs at bottle shops is “futile”. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

“Taxpayers are forking out for private security guards patrolling our streets while sworn police officers, trained to deal with crime in our community, are stuck at the front of takeaway liquor outlets.

“It is clearly time for urgent reform … for those suitable, it is time to immediately convert our 75 PALI positions into constable positions.

“That would mean more frontline officers to proactively tackle crime and address the staggering levels of domestic violence and alcohol-related harm, something security guards cannot do without police intervention anyway.

“Government has all its priorities wrong and the community is suffering.”

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Originally published as Calls for permanent police presence in Karama, Darwin, rejected by NT government