Crime under Labor Continues to Climb

Media Release from Leader of the Opposition Lia Finocchiaro

Under Labor, during the month of February in the Northern Territory, we saw more victims of crime with more theft and violence.

The release of government crime statistics for February 2024 further exposes the severity of the situation with rises since last month:

• Palmerston robberies are up 133.33%
• Car theft in Tennant Creek up 100%
• Other theft in Tennant up 20%
• Sexual assaults up 20% in Palmerston
• Palmerston Domestic Violence up 15%
• House break-ins up 8.33% in Tennant Creek

Crime in the Territory is totally out of control and Eva Lawler and Labor have no plan to address community safety.

The Police Minister continues to hide behind SerPro as a way of trying to distance himself from the ever increasing crime statistics over the last 8 years under Labor.

In 8 years under Labor, robbery across the Territory is up 210.71% and house break-ins Territory-wide have increased 107.67% in that time.

It's very clear by the lack of actions being taken by Eva Lawler that the only way to make the Territory safe is with a CLP government.

The Labor Government's response to crime has been a total joke, they're not taking this issue seriously, and in the meantime, Territorians are packing up and leaving in droves.

Territorians have seen frightening events this week of serious knife crime that have left victims traumatised.

The government's knife crime strategy has totally failed because they made it too difficult and complicated for police to be able to wand people to check for knives.

There is a chronic lack of consequences for offenders under Labor that has watered down police powers and removed consequences for people who do the wrong thing.

The CLP, if elected in August, will ensure police powers are strengthened to enable them to protect our community and deliver consequences for offenders.

The CLP will:

• reverse the government's disastrous bail laws by making sure that serious violent offenders start with a position of no bail;
• make breach of bail conditions an offence,
• lower the age of criminal responsibility so that young people and their parents can be held accountable for their crimes,
• give police greater powers when it comes to wanding to stop knife crime.
• make sure that the rights of people to be safe, are front and centre of our government.

A CLP-led Government will deliver a Safe, Strong Territory by taking back control of our streets, rebuilding the Territory’s reputation and get our economy moving forwards.