29 March, 2024
Search
Close this search box.
Alice Springs crime ‘crisis’ spurs PM trip

Date

Spread the love

The prime minister will visit Alice Springs amid growing concerns over youth violence and anti-social behaviour, which one of his ministers has branded a crisis.

Anthony Albanese will touch down in the red centre with Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney on Tuesday.

Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles is also travelling to Alice Springs to discuss the issue with locals.

Federal frontbencher Bill Shorten says the crisis warrants immediate attention but resolving the violence cannot just be a police issue.

“It will be tackling the root causes of what’s causing the heartache and the distress,” he told Sky News on Tuesday.

“It is a crisis. There’s no question.”

He added that the people of Alice Springs didn’t want another heavy-handed response from Canberra.

Ms Fyles was also steadfast against a federal intervention similar to that instigated by John Howard in 2007, which included strict curbs on the sale of alcohol and the quarantining of welfare payments among a suite of measures.

The Northern Territory police commissioner said alcohol was part of the problem but stopped short of calling for a reinstatement of mandatory dry areas.

“The access to alcohol is concerning,” Jamie Chalker told ABC radio.

The commissioner said nearly 300 people split across two bars were drinking from mid-morning then leaving with more alcohol when take-away sales open at 2pm.

“That causes part of the problem and certainly lifts community apprehension when they see so many people already on the way to intoxication,” he said.

Mr Chalker said the fallout from failed social policies, including welfare dependence, was adding to the problem.

“There’s a lot of services that just simply are not available on the ground in, in these remote communities,” he said.

“You add alcohol consumption into the mix and family tensions, and then we’re dealing with the fallout of that too.

“When you filled the jail and the social issues continue to present, that’s a big problem for us. We cannot arrest our way ahead of this.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said there would be outrage if a similar crime spree was happening in capital cities and branded it “the biggest issue in our country today”.

“There are reports of kids running around with machetes, children not wanting to go back home because they feel it’s unsafe to stay there so they’re out committing crimes,” he told Nine’s Today program.

“It’s a law and order and crime problem, and we want those kids to grow up in a safe environment – and the prime minister has the resources, has the ability, and should show the leadership to deal with this issue.”

– AAP

The post Alice Springs crime ‘crisis’ spurs PM trip appeared first on The New Daily.

More
articles