Northern Territory Police have today launched Operation Haven in Alice Springs which will provide a new coordinated approach to tackling domestic and family violence.
Commander Kris Evans from the Domestic and Personal Violence Command said Operation Haven is part of a zero tolerance approach to domestic violence and related crimes, including the factors that often fuel it, such as the abuse of alcohol, Northern Territory Police say.
"Operation Haven is about protecting victims of family violence, bringing offenders to justice and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people exposed to domestic violence," Commander Evans said.
"Extra resources, including specialists from the Domestic and Personal Violence Command, are being deployed to Alice Springs as part of the operation."
Operation Haven aims to:
- provide an intelligence led approach to the detection and prevention of domestic violence offences;
- protect domestic violence victims through the active targeting of offenders, including detection and prosecution; and
- target the causal factors of domestic violence including alcohol abuse, recidivism and family dysfunction.
Operation Haven is being piloted in Alice Springs with the aim of delivering the model in some form in other parts of the Territory, to deliver proactive, collaborative measures to ensure the long-term success of anti-domestic violence strategies.
"Operation Haven will have a significant focus on alcohol supply and the responsible service of alcohol. The community will see more police at take away liquor outlets and licensed premises, as well as more mobile CCTV cameras," Commander Evans said.
"Police will also be targeting the secondary supply of alcohol. We know there’s an increasing level of sophistication when it comes to the secondary sale of alcohol, and we’re adapting our strategies to target offenders in this space."
Operation Haven follows on from the Operation Shulton model, which also targeted domestic violence and antisocial behaviour in the Alice Springs.
"An NT Police led whole-of-government coordination centre – similar to that which was deployed during Operation Shulton – will be set up to assist with solution driven collaboration with our government, non-government and community sector partners," Commander Evans concluded.
