Night patrol services in the Northern Territory
Night patrols assist people at risk of either causing or becoming the victims of harm in order to break the cycle of violence and crime in communities. The service patrols local community areas, identifies people who may be at risk of coming into adverse contact with the justice system and takes them to an appropriate place.
Night patrols generally transport people to a ‘safe’ place where their immediate needs can be addressed, and refer them to other services for ongoing assistance. In many cases they also provide information on appropriate support services for clients and follow up with clients. Night patrols do not work in place of police and do not have policing powers. The core functions of services are to provide basic services such as safe transportation, diversion from contact with the criminal justice system, and intervention to prevent disorder in communities.
The value of night patrol services in increasing community safety and reducing contact with the criminal justice system is well known.
Funding
The Attorney-General’s Department has been funding night patrol services since 2004-05 when responsibility for the initiative transferred from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Service under the Prevention, Diversion, Rehabilitation and Restorative Justice (PDRR) Program.
In June 2007, the previous Australian Government announced the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) following the release of the Little Children are Sacred Report 2007. Night patrols have been recognised within the NTER process as essential to the promotion of law and justice and increasing community safety. The Department is contributing to the NTER by funding the establishment of night patrols in the 73 Indigenous communities identified.
Further information about the NTER can be found on the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) Emergency Response to protect Aboriginal children in the NT website.
Funding is provided on a 12 month cycle and each year Australian Government agencies invite written submissions for Indigenous Programs Funding. The electronic Submission (eSub) can be used to make a submission for Australian Government funding for the delivery of a range of services to Indigenous communities and people. Further information is available on the Australian Government’s Indigenous Portal website.
Accountability
As per the terms and conditions for funding relating to Indigenous funding and the Night Patrol Services Operational Framework, service providers are required to report on the effectiveness of night patrol services in achieving the program objectives. Service providers are required to provide both quantitative and qualitative data. To assist with the reporting requirements, the Department has developed a reporting information kit and a number of reporting templates.
To access the reporting information kit and other helpful documents please refer to the related links box located on this page.