Building Safer Communities (Two way Justice) - Northern Territory Department of Justice

Indigenous Territorians are over-represented as both victims and perpetrators of crime.

To reduce this over-representation, and build safer communities for Aboriginal Territorians, a concerted effort by all concerned is needed.

The input of Aboriginal people in addressing the broad and complex issues surrounding justice and crime prevention is vital to achieving success. This Government is asking Aboriginal communities to step up and, as partners in prevention, meet these challenges together.

For more information on building safer communities for Aboriginal Territorians visit the following websites.

Department of Justice

Indigenous Crime Prevention Councils

Indigenous Crime Prevention Councils have been set up across the Northern Territory in Indigenous communities. The councils work in partnership with Government agencies and are involved with community safety issues, community planning, management and improvement of services such as the Safe House program, night patrols, diversionary programs for young offenders, input to court sentencing processes, drug and substance abuse education through schools, and law and justice planning in their respective communities.

Aboriginal Community Corrections Officers (ACCOs)

Aboriginal Community Corrections Officers (ACCOs) are based at Ngukurr, Lajamanu and Yuendumu, providing supervision of clients resident in those communities.

Consumer and Business Affairs – Consumer Affairs Indigenous Liaison Officer

NT Anti-Discrimination Commission

Office of the Information Commission Northern Territory

Community Justice Centre

Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services

Aboriginal Community Police Officers (ACPOs)

There are now 53 ACPOs, with 45 attached to police stations in remote and urban communities and eight operating in remote communities with no police presence, save regular police patrols. The majority of ACPOs perform two roles – acting as law enforcement officers helping Aboriginal communities understand their obligations under Territory Law, and as intermediaries or liaison officers between police and Aboriginal communities.

Department of Community Development, Sport and Cultural Affairs

Aboriginal Interpreter Service

The Aboriginal Interpreter Service helps to alleviate the language barriers faced by Indigenous persons throughout the Northern Territory particularly in relation to health and legal issues. It provides an Aboriginal Language Interpreter Service for government and non-government agencies that require on-site Aboriginal language interpreters. The Aboriginal Interpreter Service provides a 24 hours 7 days a week central booking service.

Community Harmony Strategy

The Community Harmony Strategy aims to significantly reduce the incidence of anti-social behaviour, and the delivery of infrastructure, intervention programs and health services responding to identified needs of itinerants.

Department of the Chief Minister

Strong Family, Strong Community, Strong Future Project

The Strong Family, Strong Community, Strong Future Project is the major project under the Aboriginal Family Violence Strategy. It has been developed after more than 18 months of talking with Aboriginal people on communities. The project is based upon case (family) and place (location of the community) management principles. Initially each family decides on problems that are to be addressed by that family and the order in which the family will tackle the problems. These will vary from family to family. Once the problems are identified, families agree on an action plan to deal with each of these issues. A Family Violence Team in the Department of the Chief Minister is available to work with these families in four communities in the Northern Territory.

Office of Indigenous Policy

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Last Updated: 4/04/05