NT pub ram raid adds to alcohol fuelled crime rampage

A man has been caught on camera ram raiding a Northern territory pub.

The driver smashed through a roller door at the Todd Tavern Hotel in a stolen Toyota Rav-4 and made two trips inside to steal alcohol.

These types of brazen attacks are becoming more frequent in Alice Springs and have forced business owners to install bollards to protect their businesses.

Police are also finding it tough to control the random attacks.

"Police are only a finite resource. They can't be everywhere all the time and they're feeling very frustrated with this level of crime at the moment," Paul McCue from the Northern Territory Police Association said.

Crime has escalated over the past 12 months, including commercial break-ins, with alcohol a majorcontributor.

The Commonwealth's Stronger Futures legislation expired two months ago and was designed to reduce the harm caused by alcohol.

"We're talking 95 per cent of those because of intoxication, so it's quite clear there's an excess amount of alcohol now in our community," McCue said before calling for a review of alcohol policy.

McCue also believes police liquor inspectors should be converted to constables.

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles has defended the government’s action but said it will do more to curb alcohol-fuelled crime.

"Alcohol is the biggest social challenge we face in the Northern Territory and as a government, we have done more and we will continue to do more," she said.

Irit Jackson - 5/10/22