This morning, the Alice Springs community woke to the horrific news of a mother and infant attacked during an alleged home invasion.
Our police responded swiftly and apprehended two youths, both of which remain in police custody and will be put before the courts today.
Police will continue their investigations.
This attack follows on from a recent attempted abduction, home invasion and sexual assault.
My thoughts are with the family and victims of yesterday’s attack.
The child is in a stable condition and police have been in constant contact with the family.
Our government acknowledges the hurt, fear and anger in this community.
The people of Alice Springs feel that the whole system has let them down for a very long time.
The recent tragic events highlight the dire consequences of years of policy failure.
The high level of violent offending is not acceptable and takes a huge toll on our community and emergency responders.
People have a right to be safe in their homes.
The community deserves to be safe.
This is why we urgently passed our Reducing Crime laws in the first sittings of Parliament, and need our new bail laws to start as soon as possible.
Alice Springs deserves a comprehensive and consistent response to community safety, not a glossy brochure touted as a ‘plan’ that has historically failed to deliver results.
As an immediate response to the escalating crime, police will stand up two additional measures targeted at high-risk repeat offenders, and targeted urban patrolling.
The Fugitive Taskforce will see about a dozen police who will target individuals with outstanding warrants to reduce the ongoing risk to the community.
Alice Springs will be divided into five sectors, four urban including the CBD, and one rural sector.
This means Operation Ludlow will be divided into intensive patrols in those sectors and supported by additional police to give highly visible, high engagement policing.
Over the coming days, I will hold urgent meetings with police, lead agencies, the community sector, and Aboriginal leaders.
Our government will announce further measures to reduce crime in Alice Springs.
I thank our police for their brave and diligent work to ensure the offenders could not cause further harm to our community.
I thank all of the first responders who provided urgent care to the victims.
Despite the strong action taken by our new government in the last 100 days to increase police powers, strengthen the law, refocus child protection, roll out school attendance officers, and increase capacity for Corrections, this is only the beginning.
Much more needs to be done, and will be done.
