Property Council calls for reporting
THE Property Council of the Northern Territory has called for greater and more transparent reporting around antisocial and alcohol-fuelled offences.
It comes amid an escalating crime crisis in parts of the Territory, particularly in Alice Springs.
Writing in the Sunday Territorian this weekend, Property Council NT executive director Ruth Palmer has hit out at NT Police and the NT government for not openly reporting figures around common offences.
“Unfortu - nately, statistics on antisocial behaviour and public i ntoxication aren’t readily available, nor are there any reports of these trends,” Ms Palmer said.
“In recent years, both of these issues have risen dramatically, especially in our urban areas.
“We believe that the NT government’s monthly crime statistics report should incorporate these significant figures.”
She said that without consistent and open reporting of these figures, “the scale and trend of the Territory’s antisocial problem will stay in the realms of speculation, gossip, and anecdotal ponderings”.
The latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed the NT had a decline in population.
Ms Palmer said public safety had a role to play in attracting or repelling people from the Northern Territory, especially at a time when job vacancies were at high levels.
“Real transparency around the issue could lead to questioning of the governments current policy’s effectiveness,” she said.