Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Tourism Central Australia CEO Danial Rochford says a greater police presence is needed in Alice Springs while the government’s long term measures are implemented

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Tourism Central Australia CEO Danial Rochford says a greater police presence is needed in Alice Springs while the government’s long term measures are implemented · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: But joining me on the line right now is Tourism
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  Speaker 1: Central Australia CEO Daniel Rochford. Good morning to you, Daniel.
• 0:06
  Speaker 2: Yeah, good modingicating Good morning to you listener.
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  Speaker 1: Daniel. What was your reaction to the government's announcement yesterday
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  Speaker 1: those plans that they've come through with.
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  Speaker 2: I look, as we talked about just in the last
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  Speaker 2: few weeks, I think, you know, we've been always very
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  Speaker 2: supportive of a social order response program that the government's pursuing.
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: I think it's a really positive plan. I think many
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  Speaker 2: of things that are in there are things that should
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  Speaker 2: have probably already been being done. But you know, cutos
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  Speaker 2: to the Minister for taking up the cudgel and making
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  Speaker 2: sure that all these agencies are starting to work more
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  Speaker 2: closely together and the greater collaboration. But look, I think
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  Speaker 2: it's also a fair comment to say, and the Minister
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  Speaker 2: knows this that you know, it's still I feel lacking
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  Speaker 2: in the area of short term visibility, and that's certainly
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  Speaker 2: something that you and I have talked about a lot
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  Speaker 2: in the last few weeks. We need boots on the
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  Speaker 2: ground and you know, we need to get control of
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  Speaker 2: the back of the streets and I think while the
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  Speaker 2: plan really deals with the long term and the medium term,
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  Speaker 2: it's the short term that we need.
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  Speaker 1: So Daniel, from your perspective, what do you think could
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  Speaker 1: be happening right now? From that real short term perspective, I.
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  Speaker 2: Think not only do we see needs see more police
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  Speaker 2: presence in these streets of our springs. And you know,
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  Speaker 2: I had directly from the police yesterday and look, you
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  Speaker 2: know it didn't give me a lot of confidence that
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  Speaker 2: I'm going to start to see more police members in
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  Speaker 2: the CBD telling me they're not seeing a huge increase
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  Speaker 2: in police presence. You know, it's a fair comment to
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  Speaker 2: say the police resources here in our springs are pretty
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  Speaker 2: spread Eagles. So what that says to me is we
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  Speaker 2: need more resources. And you know we've been talking about it.
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  Speaker 2: I know they've talked to you and on your showers.
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  Speaker 2: You know, the Public Order Response unit that's been put
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  Speaker 2: forward in Darhi and you know with the neptchair security guys,
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  Speaker 2: it probably would be a good example of something that
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  Speaker 2: could be done here in Alice Springs for the next
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  Speaker 2: six months and hopefully use that as a circuit breaker.
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  Speaker 1: And so do you think that, you know, realistically, that
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  Speaker 1: would make quite the difference for you if you were
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  Speaker 1: able to have those private security patrol groups, you know, patrolling,
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  Speaker 1: even if just for a short period of time.
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  Speaker 2: Oh, absolutely, and I would only I would caution a
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  Speaker 2: short period of time. I think it would be a
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  Speaker 2: good circuit breaker. I think. Look, I think from the
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  Speaker 2: government's perspective, there all is in terms of ideas, and
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  Speaker 2: you know, I think certainly many of the organizations, much
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  Speaker 2: of the business community see that private security with dogs
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  Speaker 2: as a real good option for Alice Springs and hopefully,
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  Speaker 2: you know, the government's listening on that front. You know,
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  Speaker 2: we do only think it's a short term measure, just
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  Speaker 2: to make sure that it gives the government and all
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  Speaker 2: the agency's time to spoil a lot of the work
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  Speaker 2: that's in this Social Order Response plan to be able
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  Speaker 2: to get going and see results. But you know, we
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  Speaker 2: really need support tonight. You know, just yesterday we had
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  Speaker 2: forty windows broken, including the Attorney General's office. You know,
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  Speaker 2: it's you know, the issues that we talked about just
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  Speaker 2: only a few weeks ago, where I said that the
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  Speaker 2: streets are out of control and the government does not
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  Speaker 2: have control. Nothing's changed, nothing's changed. So you know, we
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  Speaker 2: need the government to really look and focus on this
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  Speaker 2: short term work as much as the work that's been
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  Speaker 2: put forward in the social order, which we fully support.
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  Speaker 1: So Daniel, you know, like you've said there, from your perspective,
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  Speaker 1: nothing's changed at this point. I guess the only thing
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  Speaker 1: that has changed is that this plan has come out.
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  Speaker 1: But from what you are telling me, now, you know
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  Speaker 1: there's medium and long term measures in place, but it
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  Speaker 1: is very much lacking in short term measures.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's certainly my perspective. And you know, the Minister's
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  Speaker 2: assured us that, you know, she'll be working with the
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  Speaker 2: police force to put boots on the ground and to
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  Speaker 2: have that visibility, and you know, we certainly hold it
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  Speaker 2: to that, and you know, I think there's some good
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  Speaker 2: faith from the Minister to be able to do that.
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  Speaker 2: But we do need to see action on the streets,
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  Speaker 2: and that's what we need in the short term, Kadi,
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  Speaker 2: to make sure that the government is in control of
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  Speaker 2: Alice Springs, because as I said, you know, all I
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  Speaker 2: see is our police force, who do an amazing job
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  Speaker 2: just dealing with reacting to crime rather than getting on
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  Speaker 2: the front foot dealing with the proactivity and preventative work.
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  Speaker 2: So you know, if the police. You know, we can't
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  Speaker 2: suddenly conjure up fifty new police officers. So you know,
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  Speaker 2: private security, like the program that's being done in Kurrame
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  Speaker 2: and that Pitt and Darwin there is probably a good
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  Speaker 2: example of a short term trigger.
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  Speaker 1: And so just with the you know, like in terms
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  Speaker 1: of the security patrols, I'm assuming that that's something that
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  Speaker 1: you you know that you've obviously spoken to the minister
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  Speaker 1: about why is there resistance to that not just happening immediately?
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  Speaker 2: Oh look, I think it's still only relatively early days
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  Speaker 2: up there too. And I know I hear Minister our
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  Speaker 2: Kits saying very positive words, and you know, we take
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  Speaker 2: her comments as the local member there on face value,
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  Speaker 2: and you know, I think it's probably a perfect example
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  Speaker 2: of something that we need here. I guess ultimately, I
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  Speaker 2: don't know why the government's are not wanting to roll
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  Speaker 2: it out a little bit further, but you know, it's
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  Speaker 2: certainly something that we're very keen to advocate for. And
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  Speaker 2: I'm in my chair are coming up to and next
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  Speaker 2: week and you know, we're going to sit down with
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  Speaker 2: the team just and potentially go out on patrol with them,
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  Speaker 2: just to see what it's like yeah, you know, I
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  Speaker 2: think it is important for us to see what that
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  Speaker 2: looks like and it is one of a few things
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  Speaker 2: that need to be done in the short term.
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  Speaker 1: So do you think, I mean, do you think it
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  Speaker 1: would be fair if you wound up in a situation
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  Speaker 1: in Central Australia where you're not able to you know,
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  Speaker 1: to have that Public Order Response Unit, the security patrolling
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  Speaker 1: you know, the streets of Central Australia, i e. The
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  Speaker 1: cb D. Do you think that it would be fair
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  Speaker 1: if you're not able to have that in Central Australia
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  Speaker 1: but we've got it happening in different northern suburbs.
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  Speaker 2: I think you know the answer to that question. You know, certainly,
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  Speaker 2: you know we you know, I think if we can't
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  Speaker 2: not say that there's a problem. You know, as I've
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  Speaker 2: described it previously, this town is in crisis. And when
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  Speaker 2: you are in a crisis, and I know the government
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  Speaker 2: won't use that term, but you know, it's certainly something
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  Speaker 2: that we need a circuit breaker on and we need
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  Speaker 2: to throw some resources at it. And I think, you know,
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  Speaker 2: I take the Chief Minister's words very strongly that she's
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  Speaker 2: a very she's always from the local community of our
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  Speaker 2: ideas that potentially work. The feedback I get is dog
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  Speaker 2: patrols things that work, and so as a short term measure,
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  Speaker 2: I think this is a good idea for us, and
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  Speaker 2: I think it just gives take some pressure off the
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  Speaker 2: police as well, who are really spread eagles in this
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  Speaker 2: town to be able to hopefully be able to get
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  Speaker 2: those resources in the medium term to be able to
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  Speaker 2: get back in control. I think the other thing too,
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  Speaker 2: and I certainly welcome the Mayor's comments today about in
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  Speaker 2: the NT News. I think that's a really good initiative.
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  Speaker 2: You and I have again talked many times the concept
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  Speaker 2: of an h year old being on the streets at
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  Speaker 2: three o'clock in the morning. We really do need to
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  Speaker 2: open the Child Protection Act here and the state needs
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  Speaker 2: to take care of young people who are out roaming
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  Speaker 2: the streets not under parental care. And I think the
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  Speaker 2: Mayor's got it right here that we need to look
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  Speaker 2: at somewhere like he suggested you are a college or
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  Speaker 2: wherever that may be, to be able to be a
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  Speaker 2: safe place where the state can take these kids under
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  Speaker 2: care and to support them and nurture them and give
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  Speaker 2: them the short term love that they need to make
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  Speaker 2: sure that they're safe and protected.
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  Speaker 1: Well, look, we are going to be catching up with
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  Speaker 1: the Mayor in just a couple of minutes time, Daniel.
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  Speaker 1: Before I let you go, though, how is your chair?
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  Speaker 1: How's Carl going after that after that assault on Monday morning?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, look, physically he's you know, certainly got a whacker
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  Speaker 2: of a bruise and very swollen ear.
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  Speaker 3: I look, he was very rattled and you know, I
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  Speaker 3: think you could hear that in his interview with you
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  Speaker 3: earlier in the week, and I think, you know, our
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  Speaker 3: heart is with him, and I know both the Minister
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  Speaker 3: Warden and Minister Manison.
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  Speaker 2: Reached out to him personally, which is great, and you
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  Speaker 2: know he suddenly received a lot of well wishes. But
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  Speaker 2: I think he was the first to stress on the
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  Speaker 2: other day that he is just one of countless assaults
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  Speaker 2: that occur in our community. So our thoughts are with
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  Speaker 2: everyone who has those issues. See put upon them.
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  Speaker 1: Daniel Rochford. We always appreciate your time. We are going
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  Speaker 1: to be speaking to the Minister for Police just after
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  Speaker 1: ten o'clock this morning, so I'm keen to follow up
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  Speaker 1: with her about these security patrols and we will no
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  Speaker 1: doubt talk to you again very soon, particularly if you
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  Speaker 1: and Carl are in town next week. We'll make sure
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  Speaker 1: we catch up with you. Found great thank you, Thanks Daniel,