Browsing Category
Alice Springs
53 posts
‘National shame’: Landmark inquest shines light on DV
Three years before Malcolm Abbott murdered Kumarn Rubuntja she told the country the violence had to stop. Those words open the findings from Northern Territory Coroner Elisabeth Armitage's landmark inquiry into the killing of four Aboriginal women by their partners. The coroner said the killings were part of a "plague" of domestic violence homicides contributing to a "national shame". On Monday she handed down 245 pages of findings, along with 35 recommendations, after spending more than 18 months investigating the deaths of Kumanjayi Haywood, Ngeygo Ragurrk, Miss Yunupingu and Kumarn Rubuntja. Judge Armitage criticised the government for delaying funding to…
Government worker charged over cattle deaths
A government worker has been charged over the deaths of 71 cattle at a research facility. Northern Territory police said the animals were found dead or dying at a Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade research facility, 20km south of Alice Springs, on March 13, 2023. Initial reports indicated the cattle may have been poisoned, however a 12-month internal investigation by the department confirmed the cause of death was dehydration due to prolonged water deprivation. In March this year, the matter was referred to NT police to investigate potential offences committed under the Animal Protection Act 2018. Investigators found that…
Alice looks beyond curfew to long-term social solutions
As Alice Springs emerges from its second curfew in three months, there is little appetite for more in the Northern Territory town. Thursday night was the town's first after a three-day public social disorder declaration, banning residents and visitors from entering the CBD overnight in a bid to extinguish a flare-up of violence. While the NT government and police force say it achieved its intended effect in the short term, advocates warn the repeated curfews will do more harm than good. Karly Warner, chair of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, called the curfew an infringement of…
Missing hiker found dead on Alice Springs track
The body of a missing Victorian hiker has been found on a popular walking track outside Alice Springs. Alistair Thomson was walking the Larapinta Trail alone and was last heard from nearly two weeks ago on May 21 when he texted his family. The body of the 64-year-old was found late on Sunday night, Northern Territory Police said on Monday. No further details about his disappearance or death were revealed, with police citing family privacy reasons. A report will be prepared for the coroner. The alarm was raised on his disappearance after the experienced hiker did not make contact to…
Specialist police to target Alice Springs youth crime
More than a dozen additional police officers will be sent to Alice Springs following a series of violent brawls that led local authorities to impose a three-week curfew on the Red Centre. A team of 18 officers will form the Alice Springs Territory Safety Division, tasked with targeting youth crime, high-visibility policing and rapid response to public order situations. Northern Territory Police Minister Brent Potter said the specialist unit would improve community safety and reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. "We have seen the positive impact high-visibility policing has made across Alice Springs," he said on Thursday in reference to officers…
Alice Springs readies for first night without curfew
Permanent accommodation hubs could provide an answer to youth crime in Alice Springs as the end of a three-week curfew raises questions about the outback town's long-term future. The order was imposed on March 27 when the Northern Territory government declared an emergency following escalating violence. Children aged under 18 were prohibited entering central Alice Springs between 6pm and 6am. Red Centre residents are readying for the first night without a curfew in almost three weeks after the restriction ended on Tuesday morning. Extra police patrols will help allay fears of a return to violence, while government social workers will…
Children failed by the system, say First Nations groups
In Alice Springs Aboriginal elders are crying out to be heard - and say, unless, the voices of the community are listened to, the cycle of over-policing and crime is doomed to be repeated. Arrernte man William Tilmouth, the founding chair of Children's Ground, an Aboriginal organisation that focuses on prevention, early intervention and empowerment rather than crisis and deficit says Aboriginal people are the most policed people in the world and also subjected to the greatest injustice, racism and oppression. "We have a history of over-incarceration of our people and over-representation in the criminal justice system," he said. "The…
Extra police to remain in Alice Springs after curfew
More police patrols and family service officers will be on the streets of Alice Springs after the violence-hit town emerges from its "successful" youth curfew experiment. An additional 25 police officers and increased Territory Families staff will remain stationed in the town's safety hub to allay fears that crime could once again flare up. Children under 18 are prohibited from entering the Alice Springs CBD between 6pm and 6am under a curfew imposed on March 27 following a spate of "horrific" brawls that rattled the town. Northern Territory Chief Minister Eva Lawler said the increased policing measures would allow the…
Alice Springs youth curfew extended beyond school break
A ban on children entering the Alice Springs CBD will be extended beyond the school holidays due to concerns easing restrictions could lead to a flare-up in violence. A two-week youth curfew was imposed on March 27 when the Northern Territory government declared an emergency in response to escalating violence in the red centre. The declaration bans people under the age of 18 from entering the town centre without a valid reason between 6pm and 6am. Initially due to end on Wednesday, NT Chief Minister Eva Lawler announced the curfew would continue into the following week. Ms Lawler said the…
Vigilance as crime continues under Alice Springs curfew
Police in Alice Springs remain vigilant as youth crime continues after an emergency curfew was imposed on the besieged town. Several youths allegedly burgled a house on Thursday night, armed with a weapon and screwdriver, Northern Territory Police Commissioner Michael Murphy said. "We have a team of detectives on that and we have some good footage identifying everyone else involved so we're expecting some quick action on that," he said. Up to seven youths were involved in the incident and three are in custody, according to police. Mr Murphy said police received reports a camping stall was broken into by…