Crime in the Northern Territory
Encyclopedia
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
has per capita the highest crime rate of any Australian city, while Alice Springs
Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Alice Springs is the second largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Popularly known as "the Alice" or simply "Alice", Alice Springs is situated in the geographic centre of Australia near the southern border of the Northern Territory...
has the second highest crime rate
Crime in Alice Springs
Crime is a significant social issue in Alice Springs. The main source of crime is Alice Spring's large unemployed population of Aboriginal residents, who live in camps throughout the town, and in camps nearby.- Statistics :...
of any Australian city (and the highest murder rate). Criminal activity is fought by the Northern Territory Police
Northern Territory Police
The Northern Territory Police is the police body that has legal jurisdiction over the Northern Territory of Australia. This police service has 1302 gazetted police positions made up of 55 Senior Sergeants, 200 Sergeants, 741 Constables, 159 Auxiliaries, and 84 Aboriginal Community Police Officers...
.
Major crimes in the Northern Territory
- 1891 – Constable Willshire of Alice Springs mounted police was tried for murder of aborigines in HermannsburgHermannsburg, Northern TerritoryHermannsburg is an Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory of Australia, 131 km southwest of Alice Springs. It is known in the local Western Arrernte language as Ntaria....
and was acquitted in Port Augusta - 1928 – Coniston massacreConiston massacreThe Coniston massacre, which took place from 14 August to 18 October 1928 near the Coniston cattle station, Northern Territory, Australia, was the last known massacre of Indigenous Australians. People of the Warlpiri, Anmatyerre and Kaytetye groups were killed...
, massacre by Constable William Murray and "Nugget" Morton who led a revenge party through the Coniston area following the murder of dingo-trapper Fred Brooks by Aborigines. - 1 August 1933 – Dhakiyarr Wirrpanda murdered Constable Albert McColl in a highly controversial case.
- 23 June 1983 – Martin LeachMartin Leach (Australian murderer)Martin Leach , is a convicted rapist and double murderer, and has been described as one of, if not the Northern Territory's worst killer....
bound, gagged and stabbed Charmaine Ariet and bound, gagged, stabbed, raped and slit the throat of her cousin Janice Carnegie before burying their bodies in a gully. - 18 August 1983 – Douglas CrabbeDouglas CrabbeDouglas John Edward Crabbe is an Australian murderer currently imprisoned in Perth for a multiple murder which occurred when he drove his 25-tonne Mack truck into the crowded bar of a motel at the base of Uluru, on 18 August 1983...
rammed his 25 ton Mack truck into a motel bar at the base of UluruUluruUluru , also known as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory, central Australia. It lies south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs; by road. Kata Tjuta and Uluru are the two major features of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park....
, killing 5 people. - 1985 – Douglas Scott was murdered in Darwin's Berrimah Jail, later dismissed by the Darwin Supreme Court.
- 1999 – Rodney AnsellRodney AnsellRodney William Ansell was an Australian from "the bush" who became the inspiration for Paul Hogan's character in the 1986 movie Crocodile Dundee...
, inspiration for the 1986 film, Crocodile DundeeCrocodile Dundee"Crocodile" Dundee is a 1986 Australian comedy film set in the Australian Outback and in New York City. It stars Paul Hogan as the weathered Mick Dundee and Linda Kozlowski as Sue Charlton....
, killed Sergeant Glen Huitson before being killed by police. - 2001 – Peter Falconio disappearance – British tourist disappears on 14 July 2001
- March 2004 – Darwin sex workers Phuangsri Kroksamrang, 58, and Somjai Insamnan, 27, were bound with cable ties and thrown alive into the Adelaide River near Darwin by Ben William McLean and Phu Ngoc Trinh.
- 2 February 2010 – A disgruntled customer used a trolley based device and bombed2010 Darwin shopping mall bombingThe 2010 Darwin Shopping Mall Bombing was an incident which occurred on 3 February 2010 at a shopping mall, located in the Darwin CBD. 19 people were wounded, including a Police Officer.-Bombing:...
the Territory Insurance Office in Darwin City injuring 15.
Motorcycle gangs
In the Northern Territory, most serious crime is alleged to be conducted by motorcycle gangs. The Darwin division of the Hells AngelsHells Angels
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is a worldwide one-percenter motorcycle gang and organized crime syndicate whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation. Their primary motto...
is believed to be responsible for most of the semi-organised crime in the Northern Territory.