'The lack of action is sickening': Lambley and Opposition call for immediate action on crime | NT Independent

‘The lack of action is sickening’: Lambley and Opposition call for immediate action on crime

by | Jan 28, 2021 | News | 5 comments

Chief Minister Michael Gunner has come under fire for refusing to strengthen bail laws for repeat young offenders that Opposition and independent politicians say would protect the community from an ongoing Territory-wide crime spree.

According to recently released arrest figures from Estimates hearings, there were 32 arrests of youth offenders who were out on bail between July 1 and September 30, of 80 overall arrests for the same time period.

But the Chief Minister said he has no interest in changing the laws that currently have a presumption of release for young offenders.

“No, I don’t think that’s the issue,” he told Mix 104.9 on Wednesday.

Deputy CLP Opposition leader Gerard Maley said Mr Gunner is out of touch with the community’s expectations on crime and needs to take action immediately.

“At a time when Territorians are looking for increased consequences, Michael Gunner and his soft on crime Labor Government are not only making it easier for (young) offenders to get bail but have also removed breach of bail conditions as an offence,” he said.

“There are no consequences for repeat offenders.”

A recent spate of crime has resulted in some businesses closing in Darwin and last weekend more than 25 homes and businesses were broken into in Alice Springs from Friday to Monday.

Independent Alice Springs MLA Robyn Lambley said her constituents have had enough of government inaction as youth crime skyrockets.

“The lack of action by the Gunner Government is sickening,” Ms Lambley said.

“Crime has never been this bad in Alice Springs and it is getting worse. People are leaving or planning to leave Alice Springs in droves. Our safety and happiness as a community is being compromised to the point whereby people cannot see a future in Alice Springs.”

Even after a death, government has taken no action to fix youth crime problems: Lambley

Ms Lambley pointed to the death last October of Alice Springs man Shane Powell who was allegedly killed by a teen while on bail in a stolen car as an example of the government’s inaction.

She said a similar incident in Queensland this week, that saw two pedestrians hit and killed by a young offender in a stolen car, has been handled much better by Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, who ordered a coronial inquiry and full police investigation into the circumstances around the incident, as well as pledging to strengthen laws to protect the community.

“Once again, I call on the NT Gunner Labor Government to follow the words of Annastacia Palaszczuk and address this serious problem,” Ms Lambley said. “There must be legislative changes and a more proactive approach.”

Meanwhile, Mr Gunner wrote to Alice Springs town council this week informing council that the best way for them to deal with their out-of-control crime problem is to engage kids in “community activities”.

He also offered cash for those activities and facilities.

“The council has many options available for youth and community activities and government has offered funding for facilities that will engage the town’s youth,” he wrote.

“While the Northern Territory government has been very active in working to address community safety, social and economic challenges, many of these can only be achieved with the co-operation of the council.”

Alice Springs CLP MLA Josh Burgoyne said bail laws needed to be changed and immediate action taken to reduce crime.

“In 2017 Michael Gunner admitted the youth justice system was broken, but instead of fixing it, has promoted a system that lets victims down and puts offenders first,” he said.

“Crime, and particularly youth crime, is out of control from the Top End to Central Australia. The youth justice system has collapsed and victims of crime have been abandoned by this Gunner Labor Government.”

On Thursday, NT Police’s media unit issued a statement to inform the public they had arrested three youths in relation to “a number of unlawful entries” in Alice Springs over the weekend. The youths were apprehended while driving in an allegedly stolen car.

Two 13-year-old boys were arrested and charged for the alleged unlawful entries, while another young offender was found to be breaching bail conditions. The 13-year-olds are to appear before court, police said, while “one youth was bailed and will be dealt with under the Youth Justice Act”.

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5 Comments

  1. This is just a joke.
    Lock them up & keep them locked up.
    Support our police force so they don’t go to work every day & feel that they are waisting their time. Or give us the power to protect our property with force.

  2. This govt can not afford to run the prisons they have. let alone provide the medical services these first nation kids are in need of. the root cause of crime is this govt allowing homelands to be ruinous, housing, health services, education, and rehab, all left to rot. the vulnerable and broken end up in your prisons. locking people up isn’t working. of the >1500 men in prison >1300 are first nation. youth prison is exclusively first nation kids. How is this not a society imploding. CLP agreed to take control of homelands from the commonwealth. Labour dreams of call centres and power to Singapore while NT lurches towards chaos.

    • It is high time the root cause of the offending was addressed. Their own people need to start doing something to help themselves. Their appears to be a total disregard for their actions. It is ridiculous to keep blaming the lack of handouts. Royalty payments in the millions every year are divided up and paid over and above welfare. The money does not appear to do anything to improve lives or facilities in communities.

      • to frame govt funding of basic services as handouts is the elephant in the room. in all honesty the NT Govt is not doing enough for basic services for homelands for housing, for education, for health.

        • It costs over $200,000 per year, per person to supply welfare ,housing,medical,electricity and school in remote communities. (information from an ESO on a community). I agree that th NT govt is failing to deliver in community housing. They are failing to deliver everywhere except public service wages. Borrowing to build infrastucture is one thing but borrowing to pay daily recurring expenses is madness perpetrated by someone that has become a delusional dictator with a delusional group of minions.

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