Curfew knee-jerk, short sighted, inflaming: NAAJA

Letter to the Editor

The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) is concerned and dismayed by a move by the NT government to impose an “emergency” youth curfew in Alice Springs in an apparent bid to tackle crime.

The curfew, coupled with a decision to send dozens of additional police officers to the town, appears to have been made without community consultation.

The decision risks inflaming problems in the region.

If this knee-jerk policy is in response to reports of violence outside the Todd Tavern it is misguided and misplaced as the incident is understood to have occurred during the daytime and primarily involved adults.

While a tragic car accident claiming the life of a 19-year-old man several weeks ago allegedly involved adults, not minors.

A youth curfew will not address the very real challenges facing Alice Springs and surrounding communities – it’s nothing more than a short-sighted quick fix that demonises young people and risks inflaming tensions and escalating problems.

Further, there appears to have been no consultation, including with support services that most certainly will need to be called upon.

A curfew is a blunt instrument and does not seem to factor in that many young people have after-school sports and part-time jobs in the evening, while for others, home isn’t always the safest place.

So many questions remain unanswered, including what do police intend to do in the event a young person is not at home during the imposed curfew hours. Will these minors face charges as a result, further criminalising their behaviour?

NAAJA implores the NT Government to immediately back down from this draconian and potentially disastrous plan.

We ask the Chief Minister and the Police Minister to speak with us and speak with Aboriginal leaders in the community to explain what this curfew will mean.

Territorians are right to be concerned about crime and offending.

If we are going to come up with solutions that work for Aboriginal people in Alice Springs, then Aboriginal people need to be involved and working together with government to improve community safety.

The underlying drivers of crime and offending are complex, and over-policing is not the solution.

Instead, the Northern Territory urgently needs an evidence-based approach to stopping the cycle, such as meaningful investments in programs and initiatives that better support people, including children and teenagers, with employment, education, and health, including issues around the misuse of drugs or alcohol.

Principal Legal Officer Jared Sharp, North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency.