Bail crackdown credited with drop in territory crime

A law-and-order crackdown in a crime-troubled territory is delivering results as fresh data points to big reductions in offending, the region's administration says.

The Northern Territory's Country Liberal Party government said tougher bail laws, the recruitment of more police and prison guards and other anti-crime measures were working.

Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro on Friday said the measures, including $1.5 billion in law-and-order spending announced in the May budget, had led to criminal offences "plummeting" in the territory.

From January to August 2025, there were 1273 fewer victims of crime than in the same months the previous year, a reduction of 7.4 per cent, the government said.

Over the past eight months, more than 1200 fewer offences were recorded territory-wide, including major reductions in robberies, house break-ins and commercial burglaries.

The chief minister said stronger bail laws were also having an impact, with 4587 adults refused bail between January 6 and September 30, a 38 per cent increase on the same period last year.

The latest crime figures show that in Alice Springs, which has been impacted by violence and disorder on its streets, overall crime is down 14 per cent, driven by a strong decline in property offending.

Offences against individuals in Alice Springs dropped by 16 per cent, assaults were down by 19 per cent, residential break-ins fell by 24 per cent and commercial burglaries dropped by 38 per cent.

The NT-wide results reflected the government's investment in frontline policing and a zero-tolerance approach to crime, according to Ms Finocchiaro, who is also the territory's police minister.

The conservative party was elected in August 2024 on a platform of reducing crime with a pledge to "take back control of our streets".

In the last financial year, 182 police officers graduated, delivering an increase of 77 officers on the front line.

"I commend magistrates for getting the message and using our strongest bail laws in the country with a 38 per cent increase in adults bail refused," Ms Finocchiaro said.

Despite the bail crackdown, the government said remand pressures were easing.

High crime rates and anti-social behaviour in the territory drew national attention in the lead-up to the federal election following a series of wild brawls in Alice Springs.

The violence prompted multiple city lockdowns, curfews and tougher bail laws, targeting mainly youth offenders.

Queensland's Liberal National government was also elected in 2024 on a tough-on-crime platform, with Premier David Crisafulli vowing to stand down if victim numbers did not drop.

His government introduced controversial legislation allowing children as young as 10 to be subject to the same maximum sentence as adults for serious crimes, prompting criticism from human rights advocates.