There are growing calls for Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney to resign after the crime-ravaged outback town of Alice Springs was plunged into another sudden curfew.
Northern Territory Police Commissioner Michael Murphy declared a three-night curfew on Monday after four off-duty police officers (three women and one man) were allegedly assaulted and robbed by about 20 young males on Sunday morning.
In a separate incident, a 26-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly ran over a police officer at a takeaway liquor outlet in Alice Springs and there have also been reports of motorists being threatened and robberies in recent days.
Darren Clark, a local business owner who manages Action for Alice’s social media accounts, believes the new curfew, the city’s second this year, will be extended beyond three nights.
He could not say whether the move would lead to more lasting law and order in the troubled city.
“Who knows? You never know,” Clark told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday night.
He said that since the previous three-week curfew over the Easter period things had been “excellent” until recently, but added that “it’s always quieter in winter”.
But the Action for Alice page has posted reports in recent days of numerous robberies, a break-in, vandalised vehicles and street fights.
In a video posted on the Action for Alice Facebook page, a motorist filmed an iron bar being thrown at his vehicle from a hatchback blocking a road in Alice Springs.
In a shocking incident, dashcam video captured a gear shifter being thrown from a grey hatchback vehicle blocking a road and hitting the front of the car.
A young man is seen leaning out of the passenger window of the hatchback and threatening the driver who is taking the dashcam footage with a stick while throwing the gear stick out of the passenger window on the other side.
The motorist reported the incident to the police.
As the city descends into chaos again, critics have targeted Burney and Northern Territory authorities for failing to address the problem.
Indigenous advocate Warren Mundine accused Burney of remaining silent on issues affecting Alice Springs even as the curfew began because he had no policies to offer.
“We need to get some leadership from the (federal) government and we need to get better leadership from the states and territories, because in respect of law and order and a number of other areas, it is the states and territories that are in charge of these things,” Mundine told Sky News on Monday.
Action for Alice has also documented numerous other acts of damage and theft in recent days, including this car with smashed windows in the Alice Springs CBD.
“I have to say that they have been a complete failure over the years.”
Mr Mundine said the curfew was a “stopgap solution”.
.On Tuesday morning, Ms Burney told ABC News Breakfast that while the curfew was “important”, it was not “the end-all-be-all solution”.
“The Police Commissioner has made it very clear that the curfew is meant to calm things down and intervene to make the place safe, but it is the underlying issues that are particularly important,” he said.
‘In particular, as the Police Commissioner said, you cannot arrest anyone out of this. The judicial system is not the answer.
“But the answer is for the community to work with the government. And that’s the way I’m approaching these issues.”
Under laws introduced in May, the Northern Territory Police Commissioner has the power to declare 72-hour lockdowns to respond to “public disorder”.
Critics have been demanding that Indigenous Minister Linda Burney show more leadership on issues affecting Alice Springs or resign.
The current curfew will run from Monday to Wednesday and will apply from 10pm to 6am in the main part of Alice Springs.
Unlike the previous curfew, which targeted indigenous youth, the latest one applies to all local children and adults.
The order was enforced after four off-duty officers were allegedly assaulted while walking on a walkway on the way to a hotel on Barrett Drive.
They were allegedly attacked from behind by 20 young men.
One of the officers was thrown to the ground and her purse was allegedly stolen.
Alice Springs is experiencing its second curfew of the year and residents have been ordered off the streets in the main part of town from 10pm to 6pm for the next three nights.
Another woman was punched in the face and kicked several times before her mobile phone was taken away.
The officer was also punched and kicked several times.
The four officers returned to their accommodation where they contacted the police.
Two of the officers later received treatment for their injuries in hospital.
No charges have yet been filed.
Police have urged anyone who witnessed the incident or has information to come forward.
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