The mayor of Alice Springs has called for the army or federal police to be deployed to the outback town to assist with a prolonged and frequently violent crime crisis.
An intensive police operation was launched in November in response to escalating rates of crime in the town and has resulted in more than 300 arrests.
However, the town's mayor, Matt Paterson, said he didn't believe the operation had sufficiently countered the problems facing Alice Springs, and that he'd made calls to the federal government for assistance.
"To me, and I say this with respect, this is no different to a flood or a storm – this is a crisis," he said.
"It's happening every single day, it's a slow burn here, and we need help.
"So, whether that is the AFP [Australian Federal Police], whether that is the army, or whether that is just resources from another jurisdiction, we need them in Alice Springs now."
Mr Paterson did not detail the type of assistance he hoped the military would provide but said local police were over-stretched.
"We need more boots on the ground every single day of the year at this stage, until this is addressed," he said.
Federal Attorney General Mark Dreyfuss's office confirmed in a statement that Mr Paterson had made contact and said they would endeavour to set up a meeting with him soon.
"The Attorney-General's door is always open to discuss community safety," a spokesperson said.
Country Liberal Party (CLP) senator Jacinta Price made a similar call for the use of the army or federal police on Sky News late last year.
Long-running problems with youth property crime and alcohol-fuelled violence in Alice Springs have continued into 2023, as well as multiple violent house break-ins in which residents have been allegedly assaulted within their own homes.
Police, government dismiss need for Defence
NT Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker on Tuesday dismissed the idea of involving Defence and said Operation Drina was yielding results.
"There are social issues that we need to work [through] together," Commissioner Chalker said.
"Coming in with a jackboots approach, I don't think is an appropriate way and I certainly don't think it's what the intention of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) is."
NT Police Minister Kate Worden also disagreed with the call.
"Police are responding to crime in Alice Springs appropriately and they are making a large number of arrests," Ms Worden said.
The ADF declined to comment.
Deputy NT Opposition Leader Gerard Maley said the CLP would "support any action that helps territorians and helps people in Alice Springs to feel safe".
Police watch-houses used for prison over-flow
The high number of arrests comes with the NT's main prisons already facing "unprecedented pressures" with record inmate numbers above their population capacities.
Ms Worden confirmed that the prisons were currently so full that police station watch houses were being used to hold people.
"We have contingency plans in place in the short and immediate term, at the moment … and police are playing a very important role," Ms Worden said.
"I'm extremely proud of the work that they're doing to support that system."
Ms Worden said recent mandatory sentencing reforms would give judges more options than prison sentences.
"We're not going to change people's behaviour, as the Commissioner said, by simply arresting and locking people up," she said.
The minister cited alcohol misuse as a main factor in many of the crimes being committed in Alice Springs – but did not make any commitments to reinstating alcohol bans that were lifted last year.
Aboriginal health and local government organisations have said the lifting of the Commonwealth bans has seen an increase of alcohol abuse in the region.
Mr Paterson and Senator Price have both called for the bans to be temporarily reinstated.
The CLP's Mr Maley said the Labor government needed to better "resource Territory prisons" but didn't specifically outline how such resources could be used.
