Alice Springs has endured its final night of curfew after Northern Territory police decided not to extend the measure intended to calm an outbreak of violence in the outback community.
NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy said on Thursday there were no reasonable grounds to extend the ban on people entering the town’s CBD between 10pm and 6am.
The three-day curfew had been imposed as a “pressure-relief valve” for law enforcement officers after a string of violent incidents at the weekend, Chief Minister Eva Lawler said at the time.
Renewed clashes in Alice Springs had threatened to extend the curfew, with police arresting five people on Wednesday following a feud in the town’s centre.
But Mr Murphy said he was confident police resources were adequate to respond to any further instances of crime or anti-social behaviour.
“The declaration has had a noticeable effect in preventing public disorder within the CBD,” he said in a statement.
“The violent disturbances we saw yesterday outside of the Public Disorder Declaration (PDD) operational hours, involving up to 100 people, will not be tolerated.
“The PDD is not a long-term solution, and I am mindful of the impact that decision has had on the broader community.”
No arrests were made during curfew hours, but police engaged with 159 people across the three nights, including removing 18 people from the area.
Police Minister Brent Potter said the curfew had played the role required by preventing alcohol-fuelled violence at night.
Wednesday’s brawl related to the death of a teenager in a car accident in March and was not alcohol-related, he said.
The 18-year-old’s death sparked violent recriminations between families and an initial three-week curfew.
Under controversial laws passed in May, the police commissioner can call a snap curfew but only the police minister can extend it at the commissioner’s request.
Mr Potter said police would spearhead an operation in the next four days to deal with the influx of visitors to Alice Springs during school holidays by supporting rough sleepers and ensuring residents from surrounding town camps left the town safely.
“People without a valid reason in Alice Springs will be supported back to their home,” he told reporters.
An additional 10 police officers were stationed in Alice Springs on Wednesday with another 34 due to be posted there by the end of July.
NT Police confirmed about 5000 people travelled to Alice Springs in recent weeks for school holidays, the Alice Springs Show and NAIDOC Week.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had been told during a recent visit to Alice Springs that the curfew had made a difference.
“What they want to make sure is that people go back to their communities in time for the next term of school that begins next week, and that’s what they’ll be working on – between the government, the police, Indigenous organisations – to ensure over the next few days,” he said.
Alice Springs Mayor Matt Paterson said the curfew had worked to reduce violent incidents but called for longer-term solutions to address issues in the community.
“This is 30 years of policy on the run that’s got Alice Springs and central Australia to where we are, and it’s decisions driven out of Canberra and Darwin,” he told ABC News.
“There is a vision for a long-term plan, and I think that that is welcomed.
“But what we need to do is speed that process up, because there will be no requirement for a long-term plan if these things continue in Alice Springs because it will drive good residents out of the community.”
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