NT Police were forced to warn the public to avoid the Alice Springs CBD on Tuesday night as youths tried to ram police cars in stolen vehicles during an out-of-control crime rampage that has the community calling for the government to immediately regain control of the streets by any means necessary.

Police said the situation last night was finally brought under control after police deployed drones, dogs and tyre spikes to stop one of the vehicles used in the rampage, arresting five kids aged between 11 and 13.

Some of the youths involved were driven home by police, but police would not say how many.

The overnight incident had Alice Springs Mayor Matt Patterson calling on the NT Government to introduce short-term measures to regain control and the head of Tourism Central Australia Daniel Rochford calling for the police’s Territory Response Group to be deployed to the town until law and order can be restored.

“We need something tonight, so I can say to my community, ‘this is what’s being implemented for you to be safe,'” Mr Paterson told ABC Radio.

“Usually the mayor is the person that runs a town, and the council as well. This community is being run by 30 to 50 kids who’ve just got no care or respect for anyone.

“What we need to do is have that addressed quickly because this is an emergency.

“To have advice from the police to not go in our CBD is absolutely mind-boggling, because of crime and stolen cars.”

Independent Member for Araluen Robyn Lambley said Alice Springs was in a “state of emergency” whether the government formally declared it or not and reiterated her calls for a youth curfew to be implemented immediately.

“Alice Springs has reached a very low point where the criminals have taken over the town and the good people are being told to stay away – this is completely outrageous,” she said.

“The Government has a humanitarian obligation to restore law and order in Alice Springs immediately. A curfew for young people must be trialled.”

The extent of the overnight crime spree and the fear it created in the community had Acting Police Commissioner Michael Murphy and Police Minister Kate Worden fronting the media in Darwin to explain how they intend to regain control of the town that has been plagued by a crime crisis for years.

Ms Worden ruled out bringing in a curfew, claiming curfews implemented elsewhere “do not work” and said police would be “working on an intervention” to take youths on the streets at night that engage in criminal activities into a “safe environment” instead of back to their homes.

“What we have seen this week, absolutely no doubt it is very, very frustrating and I absolutely feel for the people of Alice Springs,” she said. “We have seen this week an escalation of some criminal activity that we absolutely need to get on top of.

“We are working on an intervention, which is around care and protection of children around working between Territory Families and police in Alice Springs to make sure that we can legally have an intervention to take those young people into a safe environment and then make some … follow up interventions.”

Ms Worden then spoke of a “targeted approach” and referenced the government’s newly formed Social Order Response Team – a group of bureaucrats and community stakeholders tasked with solving the Alice Springs crime crisis. She also said that the Fyles Government cabinet team would be meeting in Alice Springs on Friday.

“We are incredibly frustrated and we do feel for the people of Alice Springs, but they can know that we’ve got our eye on it,” she said. “And we absolutely are working 100 per cent to address these issues.”

Acting Commissioner Murphy said police in Alice Springs were working on the crime issue with different government agencies.

“There’s always work being done. And we talked about the preparedness,” he said.

“We’ve got the Social Order Response Team. We’ve got the inter-agency task and coordination group which is police, all government and non government agencies working every day. They are people that live in the community are passionate about the community and want change for the community. They know they have options and initiatives available to them.”

Mr Murphy said he did not feel the TRG were needed to restore order in Alice Springs because there were “sufficient police” currently in the town to deal with the crime.

The NT Police Association also called on the government to immediately fix the problem in Alice Springs by bolstering the front line by making auxiliary liquor inspectors constables and reviewing sentencing options for offenders.

“Our members did an incredible job ensuring no one was hurt during this rampage. But they are frustrated and fed up with the escalating crime,” NTPA president Paul McCue said.

“These were kids trying to ram police cars. What more does the Government need to act urgently to ensure our community is safe and our police are protected?

“The community is fed up. Our members are fed up. Something needs to change urgently.”

The CLP also called for more police in Alice Springs to deal with the public safety concerns after the “absolute carnage” overnight.