Territory crime rates fall in year of growth, certainty and security.
Finocchiaro CLP Government’s strong law and order crackdown continues to unwind Labor’s crime crisis.
Number of crime victims falling as communities become safer.
Crime rates in the Territory are plummeting as the Finocchiaro CLP Government’s strong law and order crackdown unwinds Labor’s crime crisis, the latest statistics show.
Total offences under Labor rose from less than 30,000 in 2017 to nearly 41,000 a year in 2023. This figure has now fallen to 30,702 in less than two years under the Finocchiaro CLP Government.
Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said her Government had also been able to dramatically reduce the number of victims of crime, which fell by 12.1% – resulting in 3,225 fewer victims in the year to April 2026.
“It has taken my Government less than two years to undo eight years of damage under Labor’s crime crisis,” Mrs Finocchiaro said.
“We know that we still have a lot of work to do to clean up the mess left behind by Labor, but we are seeing some hard facts showing that our strong approach is creating safer communities for Territorians.”
The statistics show a staggering 27% decline in total offences in Alice Springs, as well as reductions in Darwin (down 12%), Katherine (down 9%) and Tennant Creek (down 4%).
The latest statistics pre-date Police launching the two-month Operation Ventura in May, a multi-agency effort to reduce anti-social behaviour and offending, and improve community safety in the Palmerston area.
“Operation Ventura has involved strong engagement and enforcement to deliver positive results with a decrease in anti-social behaviour, public drinking and alcohol-related harms,” the Chief Minister said.
Under the CLP Government, offences fell across the Territory in the past year, including:
A 12% reduction in total offencesHouse break-ins down 26%25% decline in motor vehicle thefts across the TerritoryCommercial break-ins were down 37%.
The Chief Minister said the statistics showed that her government’s law and order crackdown was delivering safer communities and restoring the Territory’s lifestyle.
“Territorians made it clear that they wanted a government that would act to reduce crime, restore community safety and clean up the streets,” the Chief Minister said.
Among the key regional statistics for the 12 months to April 2026:
Total offences are down by 12% in Darwin, with assaults down 13%, house break-ins are down 39%, motor vehicle theft fell 28%, commercial break-ins fell 49% and domestic violence was down 14%In Alice Springs, with total offences down 27%, assaults fell 19%, domestic violence fell 17%, house break-ins were down 33%, commercial break-ins were down 49% and motor vehicle theft was down 52%Domestic violence incidents declined by 17% in Katherine – where total offences were down 9% – assaults were down 14%, house break-ins were down 19%, commercial break-ins fell 35% and there were 11% fewer theftsIn Tennant Creek, total offences were down 4%, domestic violence incidents were down 22%, assaults were down 16%, and house break-ins were down 12%Meanwhile, total offences in Nhulunbuy were down 11%, assaults were down 9%, house break-ins fell 16%, commercial break-ins were down 30%, total property offences fell 16% and domestic violence was down 10%.
The Chief Minister concluded: “Every Territorian deserves to feel safe in their home, on their street and in their community, and we remain relentlessly focused on driving down crime, supporting victims and holding offenders accountable for their actions.
“We will continue to back our police, target repeat offenders, tackle the root causes of crime and invest in the measures that make our communities safer. Our commitment is clear: we are building a Territory where families, businesses and visitors can have confidence in the future and feel secure in their daily lives.”
