Curfew legislation to improve community safety

The Northern Territory Government unveils new legislation that will enable curfews to be enacted more flexibly to protect communities in the Territory.

The Northern Territory Police will administer the new curfew legislation and any use of a curfew in the Territory will depend on operational assessments made by Police.

Formally declaring curfews will require steps to be taken by the Commissioner of Police and any extensions to a curfew will require the Police Minister to sign off on it.

The positive outcomes achieved through the Alice Springs Youth Curfew in March show that curfews can be an effective community safety tool.

The legislation used for the Youth Curfew in Alice Springs was the Emergency Management Act 2013.  A specific set of circumstances, over a number of weeks, led to the Emergency Situation Declaration and the enactment of the Youth Curfew.

The Emergency Management Act 2013 does not suit a flexible approach to community safety but this new legislation will provide greater flexibility for Police to call and enforce a curfew to keep communities in the Territory safe.

The Police Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 – which will be introduced tomorrow – will allow a more flexible approach to enacting a curfew in cities and towns in the Territory.