Police want parents to stop youth crime

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Police in Alice Springs are calling on parents, guardians and families to be responsible and know where their children are following an increase in youth disturbances and antisocial behaviour in the CBD.
 
According to a media release police responded to several reports of young people causing disturbances across the town centre, along with a number of unlawful entries last night.
 
Acting Commander Bradley Currie says in the release that an increasing number of youths of all ages were loitering around the CBD after dark.
 
“NT Police are working closely with other government and non-government agencies through a sustained multi-agency approach to prevent youth crime and antisocial behaviour.
 
“Officers are also labouring tirelessly to identify, prosecute or divert those responsible for crimes committed, however members are disappointed by an apparent lack of parental supervision,”
 
“We’re calling on businesses to enforce the ‘No School, No Service’ campaign before and after the holidays, to encourage children to engage with education and remain on campus where they should be throughout the day.
 
“I encourage members of the community to report youth disturbances and suspicious behaviour to police.”
 
UPDATE 1pm
  
The police force’s public calls for parents to “step up to stop youth crime” are a clear message that the lawlessness in our community continues, according to a statement from the Leader of the Opposition, Gary Higgins.
 
“We have continually called for parents and carers to take responsibility, and be part of the solution in stemming youth crime and bad behaviour,” he said.
 
“Police and their fellow frontline workers undertake a difficult and dangerous job to keep the rest of us, and our property safe.
 
“This latest public call for parental responsibility from police reinforces the importance of all government services, including Territory Families, working together to identify why these youth are on the streets, and to intervene when necessary.
 
“The Opposition has consistently maintained that parents and carers need to take responsibility and be held to account when kids commit crimes or take part in anti-social behaviour.
 
“I thank the Territory Police Force for reinforcing this important and obvious message,” said Mr Higgins.
 
 
 

16 COMMENTS

  1. Why is it acceptable for the parents of these youths to allow them in the CBD after dark?
    I wonder if I let my children loose in the CBD if there would be consequences?
    Why are they not returned to their parents and financial assistance adjusted according to the parental involvement with their own child?
    What is wrong with the NT Government and judicial system that continues to allow this behavior?
    If it is not safe for these children to return home, why are they left in those environments?
    Do they not realize the dysfunctional adults these children are going to become if the judicial system and NT Government continue to sit on their hands?
    How about some Federal Government involvement – or is Gunner too proud to admit there is a large proportion of Indigenous youths in the NT that is totally out of control and he is way under-qualified to deal with it?

  2. “We have continually called for parents and carers to take responsibility” – and given the constant increasing youth crime rates in Alice CLEARLY THAT ISN’T WORKING.
    These kids can’t go home due to domestic violence and alcoholism, so of course they wonder the streets with their friends.
    They cause trouble becaue they’re bored. They break into houses and cars in search of money and food because they’re not getting enough at home.
    If the government gave as much thought, attention, and money to a 24 hour youth centre instead of the damn art gallery that no one can agree on, we might actually improve things in Alice. Because it’s only going to get much, much worse come summer.

  3. Back in 1999 the police set up a mobile police unit in the Mall.
    They patrolled the Mall throughout the night and any potential problems were nipped in the bud.
    Locals and visitors could wander the Mall and enjoy the restaurants and cafes and felt safe in doing so.
    Whilst it might be noble to call on parents, guardians and families to help stem the problem, it should be fairly obvious to everyone, that such parents, guardians or families may be the same ones who also require some degree of supervision or assistance in managing their own lives.

  4. Whitney: Incisive and correct. Indeed what is wrong with this NT Government that directs the judicial system to feed and let go?
    Good people are at wits’ end. Both mirrors kicked off my car recently while at Sporties.
    $500 hard earned to fix and nothing in consequence for the criminals. Tell me, Mr Gunner, how does that work?

  5. The youths of this town are out of control. My car windows have been smashed twice as well as other people’s.
    They are also going around threatening people walking home from town.
    Find out who their parents are and take them off money payment and give them food vouchers.
    Their parents are too busy playing pokies or drinking grog.
    I say punish the parents, make them realize the hard way, bring back the good old days.
    I can remember when I was a young. If we were seen up the street late at night the old people would wheel us, we’d get into trouble and punished by our parents and a good kick up the arse – well, that never did us any harm.
    We learned the hard way and respected the elders.
    These kids today don’t know what that word respect means any more.
    The parents have lost their way also, in this new world generation that we live in.
    It is going to get worse.

  6. Does anyone fully realize that the true purpose of allowing kids to become socially dysfunctional is driven by left-wing ideologues?
    They are victims of a tyrannical society so let them roam free.
    It’s no coincidence that camp guards in the Soviet era Gulags were mostly freed former prisoners as they were the “victims of capitalism” who could then stand guard over their so-called oppressors?
    Have a good hard think about it.

  7. Well, suddenly it is being stated parents need to be responsible.
    We have been saying this for a while now, whilst our homes have been broken into and people bashed, cars vandalised.
    Make parents responsible. Find out who their parents or guardians are, if not local then send them all back to their communities and let the community elders deal with their behaviour.
    We have the Masters Games coming up next month. Things need to be sorted by then, hopefully, but not likely. It is an embarrassment to our town what these lot are doing and getting away with.

  8. I agree with Aranda Elder, about the lack of respect of the kids vandalising our town. Respect for others is very important, but respect for oneself is fundamental since we will value others to the extent that we are able to value ourself.
    If we don’t respect ourselves we will not be respected by others either, and we cannot teach respect to others.
    Thus I started to wonder about all anonymous writers on Alice Online, as there are more anonymous writers than normal names: do they have self respect?
    It is essential to feel safe, to be able to express ourselves without fear of being judged, humiliated or discriminated against.
    If you’re presenting a controversial opinion, you should be willing to defend it.
    If you’re writing in a genre you fear others won’t respect, keep in mind that this is their problem, not yours.
    And finally, if you’re writing material that you feel ashamed of, it’s probably better to change the material than to change your name.

  9. One reason, perhaps the biggest reason, why government authorities are scared shitless to do anything about the kids running wild in Alice is they fear being tarred with the “stolen generations” brush.
    Why the Indigenous authorities do nothing is anyone’s guess. Mine is that they are scared of them, or scared of the payback that any action on their part would generate.

  10. Re: Evelyne Roullet Posted September 20, 2018 at 2:25 pm.
    Perhaps it is time to re-read George Orwell’s books “Animal Farm” and “1984”.
    I am prepared to defend the anonymous writers, many of whom am sure possess self-respect tempered by fear of revenge.
    I agree it is essential to feel safe, to be able to express ourselves without fear of being judged, humiliated or discriminated against.
    However many in the NT demonstrate totalitarian tendencies, with vindictive tendencies towards those who fail to agree with them.
    NT politics, particularly party politics, is more like tail wagging the dog, than the dog wagging the tail.

  11. Yes Paul, but fear gives power to bullying, and the hooligans of our society.
    The children in our streets are big bullies who know we will not punish them by fear of being labelled racists.

  12. Evelyne, you forget that half the adults of Alice work under contracts that forbid them from speaking publicly.
    Others fear the repercussions to their employment, business prospects or social acceptance if they speak up and are seen as being trouble makers, unconventional or damaging to certain vested interests.
    Their only recourse is to use nom de plumes, or remain completely silent.

  13. Evelyne you are frequently having a go at people who wish to remain anonymous, get over it mate.
    Some people want to remain anonymous due to work, political interest or fear or reprisal in some way. Nobody is using these comments in a factual way (nor should they) so where is the harm in it.
    I’m sure if there were inappropriate comments the moderator would remove them.
    Oh, and the only people allowed to punish these people are the courts (via politicians), they are the ones with the fear of misguided labels so these mob need to be called out to defend their actions more often (if at all).

  14. Billy de Goat and James T Smerk: I know and understand, but I still think it is not normal and sad. It used to be enough to write after our name “Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer”. A pseudo means: “I have an opinion but not if it means that I get fired.”

  15. Good old days? Gulags? Really! So police want parents to step up and fix the problem.
    Good idea but who is going to step up and control the parents?
    Parents have little control these days. Let’s blame the previous generation, or the one before that? Just deal with today and get these kids off the street.

  16. So now they are saying that they want parents to take responsibility.
    You took these rights off the parents when gave kids rights to make their own decisions and now that it’s not going right you want to blame the parents.
    The government is to blame.

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