The NT Police has launched a PR blitz to promote a new operation that will target and arrest “a small cohort of people” from Wadeye who have allegedly been stealing axes from Darwin hardware stores and committing other crimes, by holding “interactive displays” at shopping centres involving pictures of outstanding criminals and offering the public “safety hints”.

Police media manager Rob Cross issued a statement Wednesday afternoon informing the public that police have established “Operation Tarn” as a result of ongoing unrest in Wadeye that has displaced some residents into the greater Darwin area, that has resulted in “an increase in crime and anti-social behaviour”.

The operation’s first order of business is locating and arresting teens and adults who have been allegedly stealing axes over the past few days, but will also see police attending shopping centres to present an “interactive display where the public can view persons of interest with the intent to assist in identifying them”.

“We encourage our community to talk to us about what we are doing to prevent crime and how the community can assist,” Mr Cross said.

Operation Tarn, which involves working with other government and non-government agencies, has already led to the arrest of two teens and a 24-year-old man from Wadeye in connection to the theft of axes from a hardware store in Coconut Grove on Monday, police said.

It’s alleged the 24-year-old pushed past the store manager and left the store with an axe. Another male did the same thing later on the same day, police said, and a review of CCTV footage showed an undisclosed number of youths and adult males stealing axes from the store over the previous two days.

A 14-year-old and a 13-year-old were later arrested in connection to the theft at a Ludmilla location where a hammer and two axes were found.

“Investigations are continuing, to identify the other offenders,” Mr Cross said.

“NT Police will be providing more information about our activities at a series of displays over the next three weeks.”

Police will be putting photos of the alleged fugitives on display in hopes of identifying them, and will be providing “safety hints” for the public at the following locations:

Casuarina Shopping Centre

Thursday 27 October 2022

Friday 28 October 2022

Saturday 29 October 2022

Gateway Shopping Centre

Thursday 3 November 2022

Friday 4 November 2022

Saturday 5 November 2022

Coolalinga Central

Thursday 10 November 2022

Friday 11 November 2022

Saturday 12 November 2022