Alice Springs crime wave puts Aboriginal rights reform in doubt

The Australian prime minister travelled to the outback city of Alice Springs today as violence within the Aboriginal community threatened his plans for constitutional reform that would give them formal recognition in parliament.

After meeting the city’s leaders, Anthony Albanese announced the return of restrictions on alcohol purchases for the 33,000 inhabitants.

An escalating crime wave has swept the Northern Territories city, 1,200 miles northwest of Sydney, leading shop owners to install metal barricades, and large concrete bollards have been erected on streets to stop stolen cars.

Jamie Chalkner, the state’s police commissioner, said that his officers could no longer arrest their way out of the crime crisis. “We’ve already filled the jails,” he said.

Shopfront damage in Alice Springs where many businesses have installed security barricades

ACTION FOR ALICE SPRINGS 2020

Police figures last week showed a 43 per cent increase