The Crime Crisis might be a disaster for the Territory but Katherine residents have found a silver lining through an unbreakable community bond.
Shadow Minister for Education and Member for Katherine Jo Hersey said the community had really “stepped up” to support victims of crime.
“Long-time local Trent de With put out a call and other amazing locals jumped on board to help with donations of a trailer, tools, and materials to create something like an Emergency Crime Response Unit,” she said.
“After a victim reports a crime to police, the community response can help the victim by making sure their property is secure until morning.
“While it’s great to have that support for victims at a time they need it most, these volunteers shouldn’t have to be doing it – they should be at home, safe in bed at night.”
Mrs Hersey said locals enjoyed a particularly strong sense of community in Katherine and it always shone in times of adversity.
“It is great to see the community of Katherine yet again pulling together to help out victims through Labor’s Crime Crisis,” she said.
“We want that sense of community to work in the background, protecting locals and dealing with the Crime Crisis without resorting to the extreme measures that drew attention to problems in Alice Springs.
“We love our town because locals look after locals but we are also conscious of the need for drastic action at the Territory level to address the widening Crime Crisis.”
ENDS