‘Not safe’: Katherine locals losing patience amid latest crime spree as NT Police concedes staffing gap

A series of home invasions and aggravated robberies have marred Christmas celebrations in the Big Rivers capital, with Police Commissioner Michael Murphy now conceding there aren’t enough officers stationed there.

NT Police were notified of a home invasion at Fourth St, Katherine at about 1am on Boxing Day. The group stole a vehicle and were armed with weapons. Picture: Facebook

A series of home invasions and aggravated robberies have marred Christmas celebrations in the Big Rivers capital, with Police Commissioner Michael Murphy now conceding there aren’t enough officers stationed there to deal with the increasing brazenness of local criminals.

The past 72 hours have seen a spate of serious alleged offending, with social media lighting up in indignation.

About 12.45am Friday, four youth offenders allegedly robbed the Liberty Katherine service station at Cossack, police confirmed.

“The offenders allegedly entered the service station with their faces covered and stole several items before fleeing the area,” NT Police said in a statement.

“The group allegedly returned a short time later, damaging a door to gain entrance to behind the counter and stole an unknown amount of cash from the till along with the attendant’s mobile phone.

“Police attended and established a crime scene. The offenders remain outstanding and investigations are ongoing.”

Liberty Katherine, at Cossack, which only opened in recent months, has been targeted in an aggravated burglary. Picture: Facebook/ Tonon Plumbing and Gas

About 24 hours prior, at 1am on Boxing Day, a home was invaded on Fourth St, Katherine. “The offenders allegedly stole a motor vehicle from the residence, however, immediately abandoned it nearby and fled the scene,” NT Police said.

“The vehicle was recovered, and the unknown offenders remain outstanding.”

Posting to social media, an occupant of the Fourth St dwelling said he “caught them inside the house and they took off stealing my car whilst crashing into the house and front gate multiple times”.

Damage caused to the vehicle stolen from Fourth St, Katherine. Picture: Facebook

He estimated there to be three or four armed males, sharing images of the weapons they left behind in his vehicle: a sharpened wooden stake and a metal bar with a jagged point.

Community Bank Katherine on Katherine Tce was targeted overnight on Christmas, with reports of a smashed window – NT Police were unable to confirm – while Step Out Disability Services had a car raided on Christmas Eve after windows were smashed to gain access.

NT Police were notified of a home invasion at Fourth St, Katherine at about 1am on Boxing Day. The group stole a vehicle and were armed with weapons. Picture: Facebook

A Katherine South resident told this masthead she had a break-in about 6.30pm Christmas Day, her fourth since Easter in 2021.

All four break-ins were committed by “Indigenous teens who knew what they were doing,” the woman claimed.

“They found the cameras on Christmas Day and smashed them all before smashing a window to gain access,” she said.

“A woman two doors down was indecently assaulted as well not long ago in her home at night.

“It’s not a safe place to live anymore.”

Katherine Mayor Lis Clark recently wrote to CLP minister and local member Jo Hersey, pleading for help with the township’s crime woes, to which Ms Hersey responded by citing the government’s Reducing Crime package of legislation, but making no specific commitments.

Katherine Mayor Lis Clark has written to the NT government over the township’s spiralling crime woes. Picture: File

On Friday in Alice Springs, Commissioner Murphy and Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said while the Red Centre capital had received the lion’s share of additional police resources in recent years, they were beginning to turn their minds to the deteriorating situation in Katherine.

“We’ve had discussions about Katherine,” Commissioner Murphy said.

“We’ve had the mounted police down there, we’ve had an additional Territory Safety Division down there.

“We’re looking at traffic from Darwin going down there to supplement resourcing.

“We’ll see some detectives deployed there, that’ll be in January to go and supplement and help policing operations.

Northern Territory Police Commissioner Michael Murphy in Alice Springs on Friday, where he conceded his organisation did not have enough boots on the ground in Katherine. Picture: Gera Kazakov

“We do have a bit of a staffing gap there at the moment so we’re trying to supplement them from outside.

“We’ve got two squads in college at the moment, one graduates in March, one graduates in June... the March squad probably might get 12 to 15 [new] officers into Katherine.

“We’ve got a few supervisors who have transferred into Katherine recently as well, so that management has increased as well.”

Ms Finocchiaro said the government would look at expanding its Circuit Breaker Program For At-risk Youth and newly formed Fugitive Task Force, both currently operating in Alice Springs, Territory-wide in the coming months, both of which could help effect change in Katherine.

Originally published as ‘Not safe’: Katherine locals losing patience amid latest crime spree as NT Police concedes staffing gap