Hordes of kids rampage: 50 cars hit

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2458 vandalism kids 1
 
2458 vandalism 7By ERWIN CHLANDA
 
Hordes of children are on the rampage every night, especially near the Peter Kittle car dealership where last night 50 cars were damaged.
 
This is according to Tony O’Brien, principal of O’Brien Security, who says Indigenous youths aged from six to 16 are causing mayhem in the vicinity of the Indervon service station, Hungry Jack’s and the Beaurepairs tyres dealership across the road.
 
He says this has been going on for several months now: “Police seem to at a loss to prevent these youths from wandering the night.
 
“The government needs to step in. The town is getting frustrated. Police and security guards have been assaulted on many occasions, and passing cars have been stoned.
 
“These youths have no respect for authority.”
 
2458 vandalism 1Mr O’Brien says the police mobile CCTV unit (pictured below) on the median strip of the Stuart Highway seems to be ineffective.
 
Local builder Joel Olzomer, who saw the damage at Kittles this morning, says he counted at least 27 cars damaged.
 
“There were apparently more than 50. They are basically all new cars on the highway frontage, the town’s main road.
 
“Cars had windows smashed, dings on panels  – it looks like they used a metal instrument – and many cars had been run  or jumped on.
 
“It is an absolute disgrace. I am concerned Alice Springs as it currently exists will not survive long enough to see these issues resolved.
 
“At minimum, the community must be kept safe and comfortable with the streets brought under control so we can live in some normality.”
 
The Alice Springs News Online is seeking comment from the police.
 
UPDATE 2:17pm: Take class action against government, says Councillor Eli Melky (see story comment).
 
UPDATE 3:54pm: Detective Acting Superintendent Peter Dash said a number of young offenders damaged more than 50 new vehicles about 3.30am. So far, a 14-year-old male has been arrested. Anyone with any information should contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. (See below CCTV images released by the police.)
 
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2458 police CCTV 1
 
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2458 vandalism Throw
 
2458 vandalism Punch
 
2458 vandalism Group
 
2458 vandalism Car to Car
 
 
 

28 COMMENTS

  1. I’ve said it before, remember 2011 when about 30 extra cops from Darwin were sent down here? We need a quick flood of law and order.
    The underlying problem is going to take generations to deal with, if at all.
    But the damage is happening now.
    It would be good to see the police comment here sometimes, just so we know they are aware of the public mood, but I’m sure they are.

  2. Government authorities need to step in ASAP.
    These vandals need to be stopped and parents need to be responsible.
    They know they can get away with it now because no one is touching them since the Don Dale fiasco and now with Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service (CAALAS) calling for the Judge to be sacked for daring to hold a youth in custody until he is assessed.
    Come on CAALAS and Voller, what you going to do about all this happening now?

  3. Shame shame, soon the insurance cost will be so high that the ability to run a business in this town or insure your home or car will be impossible, if not completely prohibitive.
    There is a role here for all of us to find a solution, but critically the government is the one we must turn to lawfully to arrest this problem and now.
    We rely on our decency and our values, as a community we have chosen to live by a democratic political process and as part of that comes an obligation on those elected to act in the best interest of the community.
    Keep us safe is one priority, ensure our economy is sound which means keep cost of living down, support small business, support a health system, an education system.
    Essentially we want to live in peace and harmony with others.
    We trust in our judicial system, our police, our judges and our parole system.
    However this is a clear indication that the whole system is broken.
    Where the government fails to act immediately, I strongly suggest we the community seek to take action against the government in the form of a class action: The government needs to reimburse all costs for damage town-wide from this rampage, plus reimbursement for excessive insurance costs. For example, body corporate managed strata title units used to pay $30,000 for insurance. Quotes we now get are around $130,000 for a unit complex.

  4. As a long-time Alice Springsian who has also suffered property damage on several occasions over the past few years (though not to anywhere near the same extent as Kittles) I hasten to remind everyone that nothing happens without a reason.
    These openly destructive displays are the result of a community in decay, a community that has for too long neglected a segment of its society and is now shocked when they hit back.
    Rampant kids on the street are as much a community’s problem, and responsibility, as they are for their dysfunctional families which are dealing with dis-empowerment, alcohol / drug abuse and disconnection with culture.
    It’s time to admit that we have all been failed by past NT Government policy, as well as a local Town Council that washes its hands of responsibility, saying “nothing to do with us, it’s outside of our jurisdiction.”
    It’s time for a “whole of community” approach to dealing with our town’s problems, not only social, but also cultural, environmental and economic.
    We need to develop an integrated plan for the future, one which may involve some strong short-term measures, if our town is to have any future at all.

  5. Peace on the streets must be restored. The Aboriginal elders must act and fast unless they want another Federal intervention: Army patrols in the town?

  6. We all know whom to blame when Intervention 2.0 comes around. The people allowing their kids to run around crazy and do this damage. Not the Government.

  7. Eli, the government isn’t to blame. It is the failure of successive indigenous organisations like ATSIC, CLC to deal with the issues that they themselves have a major role in creating. They have the power and the connections to deal with these issues culturally. Anyone who says this is not issue created from generations of irresponsible handouts with no oversight is simply burying their head in the sand and are themselves a major part of the problem.
    Clearly Josie [Douglas] on QnA recently is not effected by this problem and showed no idea of what was happening with royalty monies. She cries for self determination but refuses to take responsibility for the problems.
    The elders need to get up and take control of these kids or risk having them removed and put into a safe environment ie foster care. If the adults/parents want change in their society, they have to start taking action. The town is sick n tired of cleaning up after another night of rampaging juveniles.
    [William] Tilmouth and Jacinta [Price] both accepted that these kids need to be held accountable and taught respect. Social housing would be nice, but because these people destroy anything given to them, the government simply can’t afford to build more.
    The government wont teach them respect. The council and police wont teach them respect. That is a cultural issue. Get off your arses and do what you are paid to do and drag your people into this century. Make them accountable and make the consequences of their decisions real.

  8. Might be time for Kittles to fence their yard off for good and throw half a dozen guard dogs in there at night.

  9. @Domenico Pecorari. Utter rubbish, I am gobsmacked that you could even suggest that this is a problem caused by community neglect. Let us place the blame squarely where it belongs, with the parents peering out from the bottom of a bong or bottle.
    Too indolent to work, too pissed or stoned to provide the most basic form of care and yet you say it’s community neglect. For gawd sake take your head out of the sand. As soon as anybody suggests anything that isn’t [politically correct] they are immediately branded racist and shouted down.
    This town is going from bad to worse and all you hand-wringers do is point the finger at the only part of our township that actually work and care.
    If you want to build bridges in this town start with those that are being incessantly attacked and stop blaming them. What is happening in town is reason enough to have a “Saved Generation Vers 2.0”

  10. Erwin, I would like to know the opinions of the parents of these young people. From what I saw and experienced in 30 years in Alice is that indigenous parents love their children dearly, BUT, seem to have no ‘control’ over them. A different paradigm from the western/European model, where there are quite a few behaviours set out for young people to follow. This being reinforced in our western/European style schools.

  11. I bet these same thugs (because that is what they are) are destroying the cars in the Anzac carpark, where users of the 50+ Centre have to park their cars, until their park is completed.
    Like Dale said on Q&A on Monday night, tough love is needed, not this poor bugger me attitude picking on me because of my race.

  12. Michael is correct. Why is all of this always swept under the carpet?
    Wasn’t mentioned in any way on Q&A on Monday. Should have been there first and foremost instead of soft soaping.

  13. Very surprised Kittles did not have security fencing etc a long time ago. But that corner and around Anzac Hill has been scary for drivers for yonks.

  14. Confused, Councillor Melky was present at a protest calling for the closure of youth detention and now he calls on a class action due to the senseless vandalism by young people.

  15. Looks like at least $100K in damages to Kittles Motors (a Toyota dealership with major Aboriginal investment) and Leigh would like know about “models” in relation to her 30 years of experience…

  16. From afar I hear see all the white folk in Alice who won’t hear of giving up their precious booze but are shocked and surprised when booze is at the heart of the problems that they are whining about. If you want to booze on, suck it up and deal with the outcomes. Stop whining, crime and social decay are what you sign up for when you won’t limit the drink. Sucked in Alice Springs, glad I got out of there.

  17. @ Scarlett Grant, “Confused”.
    To remove any confusion, Scarlett, I do not want any senseless vandalism of property committed by anyone or group of persons to continue in our community. I am incredibly concerned that if we allow this to continue the damage will be to our whole way of life and not just to property. The town is being tested to its limits at the moment so we need to unite. The Government must act and act quickly to mitigate this risk by ensuring sufficient resources are provided and if needed introduce or upgrade existing legislation. Where government fails to act, I would consider that as negligence and the community can and should consider a class action for damages.
    @Richard, “the government isn’t to blame”.
    Richard I am not blaming Government, I said “the Government is the one we must turn to lawfully to arrest this problem”. I see Government as being able to control funding, resources and can make or amend laws to govern our community. You must agree that if this ongoing destruction of property and lawlessness by rampaging groups of people continues, it will bring this town to breaking point. I am seeking an immediate action from Governtment to put an end to this crime and lawlessness spree by this gang. I would also welcome any and all organisations who can and should assist to join and support the community.

  18. That this latest incident has yet to make the national news in any meaningful way is because it would be difficult to portray these kids as misunderstood choir boys, a meme that the Gooda Royal Commission is busily creating.

  19. A rural prison farm a long way outside of Alice Springs where these delinquents have to work every day under strict and severe supervision is necessary – you do the crime you do the time – and learn new skills.
    The do-gooders will scream racism – but what else to do ?

  20. With our once wonderful hometown’s population now reduced from 30,000 down to 24,000 in the past 25 years and tourism numbers accordingly, and with Todd Street now devoid of any viable commercial enterprise, when are the Mayor, fellow Alice Springs Town Council members and Gunner going to realize they are now being recorded in history world wide on all social media, as those who ended what commenced so beautifully in 1871. Shame on you all, you disgust we who look on with utter dismay.

  21. “Fhuck the police” says it all.
    Our education system is failing, even in basic spelling.

  22. Josie Douglas was right, a significant amount of the funds from mining royalties is going into community development projects and long terms investments but, I would say, not nearly enough.
    Ironically much of what goes to families directly ends up in used car yards.
    Kittles is one example of long term investment, around half Aboriginal owned. I doubt if knowing that would have made an iota of difference to the vandals.
    And much of what Centrecorp does is not known, not only by the general public but also by the traditional owners of the country that supplies the royalties.
    One thing that definitely doesn’t work though, making heroic celebrity victims out of juveniles convicted of similar crimes.
    As Senior Counsel John Lawrence once said to me as a joke: “It’s a fair cop but society’s to blame.
    He was a prosecutor then and he made a lot more sense than he is making now.

  23. No, we don’t need Darwin police. All they did was pick on the law abiding citizens, revenue raising, didn’t solve much, us hard taxpaying workers were glad to see them go back to Darwin.
    Bring in the army.
    CLC and all the other Aboriginal agencies should be dealing with all the youths who come in from communities and the ones that live here on the funding they already receive.
    I feel for our tourists. Enough is enough, oh and bring back police at liquor outlets. It’s out of control.

  24. No excuse for what happened but Kittles car yard is grossly under protected.
    It’s made itself a target.
    Look at all the protection that other businesses have put in place over the past years.
    What has the CLC done to protect Kittles?
    Very little and certainly not enough.
    They have contributed to the problem when they should have been protecting the car yard and helping to keep the kids off the streets.

  25. @ Ben: Unsure if you are being real not Ben. Suck it up?
    So, using your logic. L-Platers can’t drive V8s so we should ban V8s? Are you for real?
    Why should ALL of society have to CONTINUALLY suffer for a few mongrels?
    I see the word responsibility in many articles, yet it’s not expected in too many instances.

  26. Mid / End of 2021 2022: I see why now people from safe main cities are excited to try a life out in Alice only to end up wasting $$ and feeling unsafe with things like this going on only to be back in a safe city where nothing like this goes on.
    I was also thinking about getting a place out at Alice. Try a remote life away from the city but guess not. I choose safety and comfort of life and what it’s like to be Australian.
    Who would wanna risk pouring their life’s work into going to a place like this when little kids would just end your life and not care at all? What a joke of a place.
    14/01/2022.

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