The Territory Labor Government has released the most significant plan in history to tackle anti-social behaviour in Darwin, the Northern Suburbs and Palmerston.
The five-point plan is backed by an additional $8.9 million investment over the next year. It will deliver a suite of measures to make our streets, homes and businesses safer and get more people back on track to stop anti-social behaviour. The five-point plan is:
1) Easier Reporting for Residents and Businesses
We are making it easy for people to report anti-social behaviour by delivering an extensive information campaign for households and businesses. For the five-point plan to work all incidents should be reported to the Police hotline on 131 444.
Work is also underway to develop mobile app and SMS reporting tools.
*The App/SMS service is expected to be ready early in 2019.
2) Visible Policing and Safer Public Spaces
NT Police are tackling anti-social behaviour and problem drinking through a strong visible presence and targeted campaigns. This includes foot patrols, segways, mobile caravans, marked vans and dog patrols. Police are also developing a strategy with industry, service providers and NGOs which may include more CCTV (working closely with the Switching On Darwin project currently underway in Darwin CBD) and better information sharing.
3) Four additional Larrakia Nation Day Patrol vehicles
The Larrakia Day Patrol will increase to five vehicles (from one), 10 staff, and operate for more hours and across a bigger area (Darwin City, Northern Suburbs and Palmerston). It will now operate from 5am to 4pm (when the existing Night Patrol starts).
The service helps relocate people to their home community (through the Territory Connect program) or rehabilitation support such as the Sobering Up Shelter. The Territory Labor Government reintroduced a Day Patrol vehicle in 2017 after the chaotic CLP cut it.
*Two new Day Patrol vehicles will start next week. The remaining two, the week after.
4) Sobering Up Shelter now 24-hours
To support the extended Day Patrol, the Mission Australia-operated Sobering Up Shelter will now operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
This will ensure people who need help with alcohol addiction can access the support they need at any time.
*The Shelter extends to 24-hours next week (1 November).
5) Programs to get more people get back on track
Providing support to people who are sleeping rough or those at risk of becoming homeless is important to tackle antisocial behaviour.
Better Pathway Centres
Three new Centres will be established in Darwin city, Northern Suburbs and Palmerston, to co-locate a range of support including onsite case workers, referral services (like Territory Connect) and hygiene / laundry facilities to give people pathways out of sleeping rough. These Centres will be modelled on the successful Katherine Doorways Hub, providing an innovative and pro-active approach to tackling antisocial behaviour.
*In partnership with community/service providers, the first Centre will open in Darwin CBD early 2019. The other two are expected to open later in 2019.
Temporary short term accommodation
There is a lack of short-term accommodation and we are identifying and funding three options in Darwin CBD, Northern Suburbs and Palmerston to keep people off the streets.
*The number of beds at the Darwin YMCA will increase in the near future. The two other locations will be identified and have community consultation within 12 months.
The 5-point Plan is for Darwin and Palmerston. In Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Katherine 75 police auxiliary liquor inspectors (PALIs) will be based at the front of bottle shops. This is part of the Territory Labor Governments historic liquor reforms to address the rates of alcohol fuelled crime and violence on our streets. 18 PALIs have already commenced in Alice Springs. The Territory Labor Government has also brought back the Banned Drinkers Register (scrapped under the chaotic CLP), and boosted frontline police.
QUOTES FROM CHIEF MINISTER MICHAEL GUNNER
Antisocial behaviour has been an issue in Darwin and Palmerston for decades, and Territorians have had a gutful. We have listened to business and the community and our five-point plan is the most significant suite of measures in our history to tackle this issue.
Everyone deserves to feel safe and our plan to fix anti-social behaviour will get people off the street and back on the right track. We are investing an additional $8.9 million in a five-point plan that will make a difference - both in the short and long term."
