Locals in Alice Springs say they are doing all they can to keep themselves safe amid escalating violent crime in the town. In the meantime, the northern territory government is continuing to push the commonwealth to act including its list of immediate measures to bring respite to the troubled town.
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00:00As a blind person living alone in Alice Springs, Murray Stewart is increasingly worried about his safety.
00:09I know with my medical conditions that if I am hit in a violent fashion, it is likely that I would pass away.
00:19He's one of many vulnerable people in the outback town, including women, taking steps to protect themselves.
00:25I don't know if I would be able to protect myself in the same way that a man probably could.
00:30These fears come as the town reels from escalating violent crime, including a brutal home invasion this week,
00:37which left a two-month-old baby with a fractured skull.
00:40The NT Health Minister today announcing an integration of mental health and alcohol services
00:46as part of efforts to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour.
00:50There's no cost-cutting involved. This is more about bringing the services together
00:54to ensure that we have a streamlined and coordinated approach.
00:58He also called on his federal counterparts for an audit of all Commonwealth funding
01:02pledged to address issues in the town.
01:05Yesterday, the NT Chief Minister wrote to the Commonwealth with a list of urgent measures
01:10to address Alice Springs crime, including distributing welfare payments on takeaway alcohol free days
01:16and income management for the parents of young offenders.
01:20In a statement, Indigenous Australians Minister Malindiri McCarthy says her government
01:24has already invested in a range of community safety measures for Alice Springs
01:29and will keep working with the NT government to roll out support.
01:34NT Police today also confirmed members of the Tactical Response Group
01:38and Search and Rescue Section have been deployed to bolster Alice Springs police numbers,
01:43with more officers set to join early next week.
01:47In the meantime, locals are doing all they can to stay safe.