Northern Territory Police facing ongoing escalation of crime in NT

ABC NEWS (Australia)

After a busy weekend of crime, Northern Territory police has publicly made the link between domestic violence and the ongoing escalation of crime in the Territory.

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00:00 The incident just one of many across the weekend.

00:04 Five other teenagers linked to the car theft were also arrested after another vehicle was

00:09 stolen in Knightcliff.

00:11 Police also responded to a separate robbery on a bus in Knightcliff, a robbery in Woolaghi,

00:17 an armed robbery in Cajarena and domestic violence incidents in Woodruff and in Alice

00:22 Springs.

00:24 In a shift of rhetoric, police have publicly acknowledged a major contributing factor.

00:29 The property crime, the significant assaults we're seeing today are really some of the

00:33 symptoms of the history of ingrained domestic violence within our community.

00:40 A coronial inquest into domestic violence in the Northern Territory has heard the NT

00:45 has the highest rate of DV in the country, with domestic violence related homicides seven

00:50 times the national average.

00:53 For those working in the space, today's acknowledgement by police is significant.

00:58 To hear police talking about that is refreshing because it means that we can actually put

01:03 our attention where we should, which is on the drivers of these other forms of crime

01:08 and offending behaviour.

01:10 But with police experiencing a 117% increase in domestic violence call-outs over the past

01:16 decade, advocates and authorities are reiterating the need for a holistic response.

01:22 It's generational change.

01:23 It's prenatal.

01:24 It's alcohol fetal syndrome disorder.

01:26 It goes into the low attendance rates at schools.

01:30 It goes into domestic violence in the home and a level of acceptance and apathy.

01:35 And how do we prevent all of this?

01:36 It's investing in the prevention of domestic family and sexual violence.

01:41 Advocates and police all on the same page of a situation far from resolved.

01:46 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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