Leading the nation in number of cops, number of victims

ABOVE: Estimated victims of personal crimes – Rate of physical assault per 100,000 people, for 2014/15, 2022/23 and 2023/24. Australian Government Productivity Commission.

By ERWIN CHLANDA

More police equals less crime? Not in the Northern Territory it doesn't. It has, per capita, nearly three times as many police as the national average and 2.5 times as many victims of personal crimes (see table).

That is the dramatic big picture but Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro likes picking numbers to make her government look good. This week she was claiming that there were 951 fewer “victims” in Alice Springs between January and September, compared to the same period last year, an 18% decrease.

That still amounts to 5283 people who did become victims.

The government’s answer? More tinkering with punishment and restrictions: Extending Banned Drinker Orders from seven to 28 days, “urgency changes” yet undefined to the Alcohol Harm Reduction Act.

Police Commissioner Martin Dole is quoted in a media statement from Ms Finocchiaro: “Public drinking continues to remain our biggest catalyst for overall assaults and domestic violence, which is why our teams are already rolling out targeted intervention before things escalate.”

"Between 2 and 9 November alone, officers issued more than 130 Banned Drinker Orders and emptied more than 900 litres of alcohol.”

On Monday this week – just one day – this was the “latest news” from the police in a media release:

Call for information – Assault – Alice Springs

The Northern Territory Police Force is calling for information in relation to an assault that occurred in Alice Springs yesterday.

Update: Charges

NT Police have arrested an 18-year-old female in relation to an aggravated robbery earlier this month.

Arrest – Police pursuit

A 15-year-old male has been arrested after a police pursuit occurred in Alice Springs early this morning.

Arrest – Aggravated robbery

Police arrested a male youth in relation to an aggravated robbery that occurred in Alice Springs yesterday evening.

ChatGPT quotes the Productivity Commission that in 2023–24, the Northern Territory had 757 operational police staff per 100,000 people. For the same period, Australia overall had 267 operational police staff per 100,000 people.

We asked Ms Finocchiaro for an interview.