Crime Figures Up in Alice Springs

The Labor Government is losing the fight against violent crime in Alice Springs but doesn't have the courage to admit it, says the Territory Opposition.

"The latest Quarterly Crime and Justice Statistics show violent assault in Alice Springs increased by 16% from the same quarter of the previous year,” says the Terry Mills, Leader of the Opposition.

"The statistics confirm with what Alice residents have been telling me for some time – that the law and order situation is going backwards.

"Yet the Justice Minister has the gall to talk about a fall in all but one category of crimes against the person.

"The catch is that the one category recording a rise is violent assault which comprises 95% of all crimes against the person in Alice Springs. That's why crimes against the person, which include assault, increased by 13% from the same quarter of the previous year.

"The Justice Minister is fooling himself and insulting the people of Alice Springs by pretending that things are improving in Alice.

"The Minister's attempt to soften the statistics is totally at odds with Labor's record and the general feeling in the town.

"People want to know that their Government is actually concerned with their physical safety; they want safe communities.

"Unfortunately the Labor Government refuses to face the facts of their failure – preferring to pretend that everything is ok.

"This is a re-run of an attitude cultivated by the Martin Government; it also stuck its head in the sand and claimed there were no problems in Alice Springs.

"It took a massive demonstration at the Alice Springs sitting of Parliament to shake the Government out of its collective denial about the reality of the situation confronting the people of Alice.

"It seems a similar rocket is needed again.”

2008-03-26