Appendix 13 - Northern Territory Police statistics for communities affected by the NTER
(from NTER Monitoring Report, September 2008)
A clearer picture of crimes and violence across the communities is now emerging.
Northern Territory Police data shows that there have been increases in reported and detected crime in prescribed communities from 2006–07 to 2007–08, including:
- alcohol-related incidents
- alcohol-related domestic violence incidents
- substance abuse incidents
- child abuse reports
- reports of assault
- drug-related incidents
The number of reports to NT Police collectively known as 'Child Abuse'19 in prescribed communities increased from 69 in 2006–07 to 210 in 2007–08. The greatest number of these reports were in the 'Child Welfare' category. Of the 210 reports of 'child abuse', 192 were verified in 2007–08. The 18 THEMIS communities accounted for around 35% of the increase in the number of child abuse reports made to police from 2006–07 to 2007–08.
The number of people arrested or summonsed for sexual abuse offences against Indigenous children in prescribed communities has decreased from 39 in 2006–07 to 26 in 2007–08. The number of adults arrested for physical assaults against children in prescribed communities has increased marginally from 8 in 2006–07 to 9 in 2007–08.
In relation to domestic violence, the number of incidents reported to police in prescribed communities rose to 1,742 in 2007–08 from 1,556 in 2006–07. Specifically, the number of investigations of domestic violence (not specifically alcohol-related) matters increased slightly with 986 in 2007–08 compared to 971 in 2006–07. The number of investigations into domestic violence incidents where alcohol was a factor saw a higher increase to 756 in 2007–08 from 585 in 2006–07. Alcohol-related incidents reported to the police in prescribed communities increased from 1,458 in 2006–07 to 2,287 in 2007–08.
The increase in alcohol-related incidents reported (including domestic violence-related) could be attributed to the imposition of alcohol bans, the increased detection/reporting of offences as a result of the establishment of THEMIS stations or may be indicative of the claims that alcohol consumption patterns have not diminished but rather have changed.