Murphy: ‘a huge influx of people in town can cause issues’
A reporter notes that the NT police minister has speculated that there may have been incidents in the past 72 hours involving people who are from out of town. How do police deal with that going forward over the next three nights?
Michael Murphy responds:
A really good point. It is about identifying where people are from, what the problem is, and helping remedy that.
We do know that a huge influx of people in town can cause issues and what we do see is there’s a connection to the availability of alcohol as well, so that’s another option we are exploring.
‘Whether they are adults or children, we will do our job,’ Murphy says
Do police anticipate a curfew on adults will be more difficult to enforce, as opposed to the previous curfew which only covered youths?
Michael Murphy:
Resourcing is a challenge and we have got a good team committed to public safety and making a difference in protecting territorians. The aim is to engage. What police do is deal with the public really well. That’s what we’re trained to do and whether they are adults or children, we will do our job. If they commit crimes, we’ll address it where we have to. The primary area here is discretion, communication, education and making a difference to avoid harms [from] occurring.
Michael Murphy also says the alleged assault of four off-duty police officers in Alice Springs at the weekend involved predominantly adults. It was initially reported by police as allegedly involving “20 male youths”.
Murphy says he will request curfew extension if required
Under the legislation, the police commissioner would need to go to the minister for the curfew to be extended beyond 72 hours.
Michael Murphy says: “If I believe an extension is required I will put that in writing to the minister about the reasons why I think that should occur.”
If there is a continuation of harmful conduct, which I hope there is not, we apply some measures now and use the community to help us we should see a turnaround. If that continues and there’s some behaviour that still concern me, I can apply for a 72-hour [extension] for a different area or go to the minister for another seven days.
NT police commissioner: ‘between 10pm and 6am you can’t come into the declared area unless it is for certain reasons’
Michael Murphy says he is mindful of the declaration during Naidoc Week, and continues:
It’s more important than ever that we need community support to solve longer-term issues of Alice Springs and the answer is not in the criminal justice system, it’s in the community and the leadership.
From 10pm tonight until 6am, the confines between Anzac Hill, Shorts Crescent down to the hospital from the Stuart Highway, across to Leichhardt and Stock Terrace will be in the declared area. Anyone coming into the zone can be engaged by police and asked to leave, or alternatively they can be asked to stay if there is another disturbance and they need to be contained for their own safety.
A failure to abide to a request by police can lead to an offence and it can lead to an infringement notice or arrest, so please be mindful and be alive to the fact between 10pm and 6am you can’t come into the declared area unless it is for certain reasons.
Some of those reasons are if you’re fleeing from domestic violence, visiting family, if you have to care for someone, if you are here for employment purposes, going to a fast food restaurant or some lawful purpose I can assure you police will use discretion and have a conversation with you and make sure you are here for the right reasons.
A general view of Alice Springs CBD from Anzac Hill. Photograph: Aaron Bunch/AAP
NT police chief announces three-night curfew in Alice Springs
Northern Territory police commissioner Michael Murphy is speaking to the media following news he was considering a second youth curfew in Alice Springs (you can read more about this earlier in the blog).
He says:
New legislation was introduced on the first of June into parliament into the Police Administration Act which allows me to make a determination into prevention, how to stop and reduce associated harm in the community, particularly around civil disturbances.
Like I said, I had to carefully consider a lot of things about policing activity, Northern Territory government activity, the impact on the community, but this afternoon I signed off on a public social disorder declaration. It will be effective now, but only come into operation between 10pm and 6am over the next three nights.
‘Plain medieval’ to avoid sexuality as part of disability support, advocate says
Disability sector advocate River Night has also weighed in on the matter, arguing that avoiding sexuality as part of the support setting for people with significant disability is “plain medieval”.
In a statement, Night said:
The real story, each time we hear people say NDIS funding is being used for sex and drugs, is that our politicians want to set up blanket yes and no rules for a scheme that is designed completely, at its core, as an individualised funding program, that requires professional judgement and flexibility …
NDIS providers are required to provide ‘holistic’ approaches to service delivery. That includes not just medical support but support for identity, community, relationships and all those things that every human being has a right to.
Avoiding sexuality as part of any full-time, 24-hour support setting to people with complex and significant disability, is plain medieval and shows a huge lack of contemporary and educated insight into human services. I might understand this 60 years ago, but not now.
Just circling back to our earlier post: The NDIS minister, Bill Shorten, may have only heard of one instance of funding being allocated to sex workers under the scheme several years ago, but the Guardian covered a more recent instance last month.
Speaking to Kitty Drake for “This is how we do it around the world: a sex special” series, Susan, 59, a paraplegic Brisbane woman, described an ongoing arrangement with sex worker Samuel*.
Trying to date as a wheelchair user makes you very vulnerable. If I go home with someone and he takes advantage of me, I can’t run away or fight back.
Being paraplegic, I feel exposed – but also invisible. I’m a sexual person, but a lot of men simply look through me. Samuel sees me as a sexual being.
At the end of each session, Samuel sends an invoice marked “support worker” to my plan manager at the national disability insurance scheme.
You can read the full piece in Susan’s words below:
Newcastle climate protester sentenced to three months in prison
Jordyn Beazley
A 21-year-old who took part in a protest in New South Wales has been sentenced to three months in prison after she climbed atop machinery at the Port of Newcastle.
The protest, which is ongoing and is now in its 14th day, was organised by Blockade Australia to call for a change to the economic and political system to achieve meaningful climate action. At least 30 people have been arrested since the protest began on 25 June, for actions that have included people standing atop trains and hanging suspended above railway lines.
Laura Davy, who faced Newcastle local court today, pleaded guilty to entering a major facility to disrupt use and was sentenced to three months in prison. An appeal on the sentence has been filed.
Brad Homewood, a spokesperson for Blockade Australia, said it was the harshest penalty faced by the protesters yet, with most of those arrested facing fines between $750 to $1,500.
We’re shocked but not surprised because this is what we expect the state to do, to repress people in what we would call lawful protest and direct action.
On Thursday, the Australian Rail Track Corporation confirmed that 200 passenger trains had been cancelled since the protests began, and condemned the actions as “illegal and dangerous”. More on the protests here:
Plan to rein in pricey groceries in remote communities
Remote communities tend to fork out much more on their weekly shop than their urban counterparts, putting pressure on First Nation communities.
That’s prompted the federal government to pull together a strategy for food security in remote Indigenous communities, with consultation to start this week and a final plan expected in two years.
Shoppers in remote areas can pay upwards of 50% more for food and other essentials at regional supermarkets. Food can also be of poorer quality and availability can be patchy.
Indigenous Australians minister Linda Burney said everyone should have access to affordable, fresh and healthy food, especially children and older people.
We want people to have their say on what will work to improve the price, quality of food and other essential groceries in remote communities.
The final strategy is expected in 2026, with $11.8m committed by the federal government for the plan and early projects.
- from AAP
Linda Burney, minister for Indigenous Australians. Photograph: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images
