Katherine residents say they are at their wit's end after a recent spate of youth crime damaged more than a dozen businesses in one night.
Several victims of crime, who wish to remain anonymous over fear of retribution, have told the ABC they want to leave the regional Northern Territory town altogether.
"I'm embarrassed to call Katherine my home," business owner and community leader Trent de With said.
For three months, Mr de With and his team at the non-profit Katherine Community Projects Association have been helping patch up businesses and homes targeted by offenders.
"We shouldn't have to do this," Mr de With said.
"But it's because business premises get smashed into so often — it costs them a truckload of money — and there's not always someone available to repair a business."
Shops, banks, petrol stations, the post office and the entrance to Katherine Central shopping complex all bear the signs of recent property damage.
"People are leaving due to the repeat break-ins, the cost of living and then also paying for these repeat break-ins," Mr de With said.
"Why would you bother in this town at the moment?"
One international worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said she no longer wanted her parents to visit the NT after her new car got destroyed last week.
"My partner and I are planning to leave Australia now," she said.
"Backpackers are changing their travel plans so they don't come to the NT."
NT Police confirm youth crime spike
Acting Deputy NT Police Commissioner Michael White confirmed eight unlawful entries and 13 property damage incidents had been reported to police this week in Katherine.
"Katherine has continued to see a bit of an increase in property offending," he told reporters on Tuesday.
"Sadly, compared to May last year, this May is much higher in both unlawful entries and property damage."
Acting Deputy Police Commissioner White said most of the offenders were aged about 11 to 13-years-old, and that several of them had been apprehended.
He said police had also received 19 reports of rock-throwing in the past two weeks.
Crime wave linked to 'ongoing dysfunction'
John Paterson, acting CEO of the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA), believes the current surge of youth crime in Katherine is "a direct result of a lack of resources".
"We have no supported bail accommodation for young people," he said in a statement.
"Many of these children have and are facing extreme underlying health, housing and education deficiencies that are not seen in metropolitan Australia."
For decades, Katherine has battled extreme rates of homelessness, recording 31 times the national average.
Census data shows nearly 500 people were sleeping rough in 2021.
"There is ongoing dysfunction which is a direct result of systemic intergenerational trauma caused by past government policies," Mr Paterson said.
"This is very complex, and evidence-based solutions need to be implemented rather than drastic reactive responses."
A community-led group in Katherine has been working to develop evidence-based strategies aimed at preventing crime, known as the Justice Reinvestment Project.
The group is waiting to hear if it will receive federal funding.
In the meantime, Mr Paterson called on the NT government to help by providing more support to families, community leaders and service providers.
NT Chief Minister defends government response
NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles says the government is already "doing a huge amount of work in Katherine".
"We've been getting agencies [and] police working with Territory Families," she told ABC Radio Darwin on Tuesday,
"We've seen a great program where small businesses in Katherine have been supported by Chief Minister and cabinet and the council.
"Absolutely it frustrates us when we see these incidents, but there's been a huge amount of work to tackle these issues, both immediately in providing a response but also longer term in tackling the issues."
