Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said a permanent task force will continue its anti-crime efforts in Alice Springs following the return of 10 police officers to South Australia.

The SA officers, requested by NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy to reinforce the Alice Springs police force in January, had been deployed for eight-day shifts, with 10 SA officers on duty at any time.

Some NT police officers who were in Alice Springs at the time were re-assigned to other towns, including Katherine, in a reorganization directed by Mr Murphy to deal with crime spikes.

The departure of the SA officers, which happened on Tuesday, coincides with the conclusion of NT Police’s Operation Ludlow, which was scheduled to have wrapped up on February 3. The operation was extended beyond its initial completion date of January 28 to accommodate the end of the school holidays.

Ms Finocchiaro said the town will be down 10 police officers until 11 recruits arrive mid-March from an upcoming graduation class.

“With school holidays over, police are transitioning to the next phase of operations and continue to monitor the situation closely,” she told media.

“Interagency agreements are invaluable in supporting policing jurisdictions, and we’ve seen strong results from Operation Ludlow and the Fugitive Taskforce, which have delivered productive policing outcomes in Alice Springs. Now permanently established, the Fugitive Taskforce will continue its efforts into the future.”

The fugitive task force was originally struck in response to the incident involving an eight-week-old infant being assaulted, who required urgent medical care in Adelaide for her injuries.

Authorities arrested two teens, aged 16 and 17, in connection with the attack, who are currently in remand.

Investigations revealed that both youths had previously been granted bail 35 times collectively and faced approximately 300 charges before the assault on the child.

At their initial court appearance in December, neither of them entered a plea, and they are scheduled to appear again in Alice Springs Local Court in February.