LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Sir – Adults who recruit children to commit offences will face up to 10 years imprisonment and youth offenders will undertake community work sentences under measures by the Territory Labor Government to improve community safety.
They will also include additional resources to police, which will see our school based policing numbers boosted as well as a massive increase in CCTV cameras across the Territory.
The Government has implemented a range of reforms this term to deliver tougher consequences and break the cycle of re-offending. But we know there is more to do.
The government’s additional measures include more action to tackle youth offending:-
• Clear and immediate consequences for repeat offenders including the establishment of a community work program that will see offenders cleaning graffiti and clearing weeds and landscaping.
• Targeting ringleaders: Introduce legislation that targets adults who recruit youth to commit offences – punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.
• Tough bail and monitoring conditions: Increasing compliance checking of youth bail to reduce repeat offending, through additional staff in police and Territory Families, along with increased funding for alcohol and other drugs testing.
• Returning family responsibility agreements and orders that were previously scrapped by the CLP government – allowing agreements to be made and courts to order families of troubled youths to participate in family group conferencing and counselling, education or training, housing management and financial counselling or on-country programs.
• Strengthening the voice of victims: Victim and offender conferencing expanded to all regions, increased funding for financial relief of victims (such as re-securing premises and vehicles, clean-up, and security assessments).
• Establishment of community accountability boards: comprised of businesses, elders and the community to have their say on offender consequences and community expectations.
• Expansion of the Back on Track Program: Increasing boot camps and on country work camps across the Territory, behavioural programs and increased training and education for at-risk youths.
• Retainment of police levels through regular recruitment programs, expansion of the school Based Policing Program, increase CCTV with a focus on suburban locations, increase CCTV monitoring.
• Reviewing of penalties for all property offences including unlawful entries, unlawful use of motor vehicles.
• Continuation of on the COVID-19 spot fines for spitting and coughing on frontline works, including police officers, increased wellbeing and PTSD support services, and look to make the removal of a firearm from a police officer an indictable offence.
• Recruit and train more Aboriginal Community Police Officers and Aboriginal Liaison Officers in communities, development of community safety action plans for every major community, and the development of a 10 year infrastructure plan for remote stations.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner, Police Minister Nicole Manison
Given that we’re now two months out from the next NT polls, this media release masquerading as government policy can only be seen for what it is – the Gunner Labor Government’s law and order policy platform for the de facto election campaign that is already underway.
It is ridiculous for the Gunner Government to hark back to the previous CLP regime; for example, “Returning family responsibility agreements and orders that were previously scrapped by the CLP government”.
That’s now four years ago! I can’t see any initiative announced in this media release that couldn’t have been started well within this period, instead of waiting for the last minute to dangle them like carrots in front of the voting public, whom obviously the Gunner Government considers us all to be a herd of donkeys.
Surely there are enough of us in the community to see through such a cynical ploy; after all, this government has had a full term to come to grips with these issues.
To write these words so close to an election makes me feel that Mr Gunner and Labor sees me and Territorians as imbeciles who have no idea of what is happening around us.
I am appalled at such disingenuous politicking.
Labor has done nothing about crime, cannot do anything about crime and should not lie to us.
I and Territorians are not a bunch of dills, Mr Gunner.
I am not voting Labor any more so because I am being treated like a fool by Mr Gunner.
Best part of four years in power and suddenly you’re listening to the people.
If per chance you did get re elected the first adverse ABC report or bit of pressure from a faceless adviser would see your tough new measures vanish faster than a prawn at a pensioners lunch.
Never mind donkeys Alex Nelson, Mr Gunner assumes we are half witted sheep.
Gunner clowns are running the NT circus.
Unfortunately the proof as to whether we are imbeciles or not will be determined the day after all the votes have been counted.
Unfortunately most people have very short memories.