Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/18180190 (201220ZJAN23) Notable: Alice Springs mayor Matt Paterson calls for federal police, ADF assistance amid crime crisis - 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
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Alice Springs mayor Matt Paterson calls for federal police, ADF assistance amid crime crisis
Matt Garrick - 17 Jan 2023
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 oPost too long. Click here to view the full text.