On March 27, officials in the unrest-plagued town imposed a two-week curfew that runs from dusk to morning.
A local police union has warned that a curfew that was implemented at night in Alice Springs, Australia’s capital of the Outback to quell growing unrest may not be legal.
Following a reported increase in violence, politicians in the volatile town imposed a two-week dusk-to-dawn curfew on March 27 and deployed scores of extra police officers.
Since then, people who are younger than 18 are required to leave the streets between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
The 25,000-person town has a sizable Indigenous population in addition to ongoing challenges with poverty, underemployment, and other social concerns.
The curfew, according to critics, is just another instance of politicians trying to project a tough-on-crime image while taking minimal action to address underlying issues.
Proponents claim that a “circuit breaker” was necessary following a riot at a nearby pub that included up to 150 people. However, the curfew might not be lawful as of late, according to the Northern Territory Police Association.
Nathan Finn, head of the police organization, stated on Thursday that “in my opinion the declaration is unlawful and police operating under that declaration are at risk of acting unlawfully.”
Legal dispute
A curfew cannot be used to “put down a riot, or other civil disturbance,” according to details given by the association’s legal counsel.
“This is nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction” said Finn, “once again, it is police who are lumped with cleaning up government’s mess following years of poor law and order policy decisions.”
Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, Eva Lawler, urged a possible court challenge, saying, “Bring it on.”
Michael Murphy, the commissioner of Northern Territory Police, also supported the government’s decision to impose the curfew.
“The act is not intended to be employed for three purposes: combat, ending a strike, or suppressing civil unrest. Murphy declared, “We’re not using the act for any of those.”
“What we’re doing is using all the government assets, we’ve declared the emergency situation, to make sure there’s a coordinated effort over the next 14 days to remedy the situation.”
Although the curfew is scheduled to expire on April 10, authorities have indicated that it may be prolonged.
SOURCE: TRTWORLD
