The Territory Labor Government is focused on creating safer communities with a number of initiatives aimed at preventing crime and anti-social behaviour across Darwin and Palmerston.
Cross-Agency Collaboration:
The Darwin, Palmerston & Litchfield Interagency Tasking Coordination Group (DPLITCG) has been established to provide a holistic and strategic response to reduce the contributing factors of anti-social behaviour across the region and enhance community safety service delivery through a collaborative partnership approach.
To improve communications further and allow more collaborative approaches, Police and Territory Families, Housing and Communities teams will soon be co-located across the Territory.
This will see Police Officers and Youth Engagement Officers come together more frequently to address pockets of crime, antisocial behaviour and youth offending.
Police are currently conducting daily operations to combat antisocial behaviour across the Greater Darwin, Palmerston and Litchfield areas. These operations form part of our Alcohol Policing Operations with the specific aim to target antisocial behaviour and minimise alcohol-fuelled violence, which includes secondary supply.
Work is also underway to establish a Secondary Supply Reference Group which will have cross agency representation from Police, Territory Families, Housing and Communities and NT Health. This group will work with local governments and peak bodies to develop strategies around alcohol harm minimisation.
New CCTV has also been installed in Jingili as part of program to upgrade and expand the CCTV network.
Public Order Response Unit:
The Territory Government is also investing $2 million into safer place across the Territory, including the Public Order Response Unit (PORU).
The PORU is being trialled in Palmerston and the Northern Suburbs, and follows other private security patrols in Darwin's CBD and inner suburbs.
This program seeks to improve community safety and liveability with a visible security presence.
The PORU will work collaboratively with Larrakia Nation, City of Palmerston Rangers, City of Darwin Rangers, Transit Security Officers and other frontline service providers to engage with local businesses and respond to issues.
The PORU is not a replacement for a police response, but seeks to build engagement and collaboration with the community while addressing anti-social behaviour issues.
Biz Secure Changes:
The Fyles Labor Government is also making changes to the $1.6 million Biz Secure program to better support Territory businesses improve their security.
Upgrades to the program include:
Raising the amount individual Territory businesses can access to $15,000 to make a range of permanent security improvements to their premises;The co-contribution for Biz Secure has also been reduced from a 50% contribution by Government to a 75% contribution.
The Territory Government has also added a list of pre-approved standard improvements that can be funded without the need for a security audit, which will enable businesses to carry out physical security improvement jobs more quickly.
The new changes for both programs come into effect on 1 July 2022.
