The Northern Territory (NT) government has now officially kicked off a 12-month trial. As part of this trial, it allows the legal purchase and usage of Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) spray — or pepper spray — for self-defense. The trial started on September 1. It would enable people over the age of 18, who have no disqualifying criminal record or protective order, to buy soda canisters from licensed firearms dealers. Recent lethal acts of violence by those using the drug have fueled concerns among law enforcement, state officials, and other stakeholders about possible misuse.
Introduced by the Country Liberal Party as a key plank in its tough-on-crime agenda, the initiative is designed to give citizens and tourists the tools to defend themselves. It has come under fire after two crisis-inducing incidents in the last two weeks. A 16-year-old pepper sprayed two aggressive bouncers because they wouldn’t let him into a club. At the same time, a 26-year-old woman was arrested for spraying an interstate visitor outside the Mayberry nightclub in Darwin’s central business district.
Review Committee and Oversight
An independent citizens committee has been formed to oversee the OC Spray trial. Former NT Chamber of Commerce head Greg Ireland is on the committee. The committee’s charge involves engaging public interest groups to elicit feedback during the trial period.
He continued by saying that more education is needed on the risks associated with OC spray use. It’s definitely been identified as a risk,” he said. “We’ll remain concerned that any spray that does get into the wrong hands could be misused, and that’s very much something that we’re watching for.”
Retailers involved in the trial ensure customers are aware of the restrictions placing limits on purchases. Additionally, all purchases are recorded to individual members, requiring members to be accountable for their votes. Even with these actions in place, major concerns remain with undemocratic 24/7 access to OC spray with no required training.
“Unrestricted access to OC spray without mandatory training is a recipe for disaster,” – Erina Early
Community Response and Safety Concerns
The recent incidents have reignited discussions surrounding public safety and the need for regulation of OC spray. Hospitality NT has expressed their support for police and security personnel who intervened during these altercations, underscoring the necessity for effective crowd management in nightlife settings.
Recently been calling on the NT government to bring back the Territory Protective Services (TPS) patrols to the CBD. Further, they are urging other councilors in Darwin to endorse this movement. They found a significant effect at increasing night-time violence and anti-social behavior. Unfortunately, this spike occurred just as funding ended for TPS patrols after 8 PM.
“The number of night-time incidents — assaults, break-ins and anti-social behaviour — has exploded since the funding for TPS patrols after 8 PM ceased,” – Hospitality NT
Community leaders like Early have expressed their concern about the impact this trial would have. This isn’t about anti-protection, it’s about pro-responsibility,” she said, focusing the discussion on accountability. At Indy, she kindly expanded on her concerns about the use of OC spray and the consequences it has on public safety.
“It’s not about empowering people at all, it’s absolutely not — you’re giving people weapons to hurt someone else.” – Erina Early
Future Regulations and Accountability
As the trial moves forward, all stakeholders remain hopeful that stricter regulations will be adopted regarding the use of OC spray. As Early has already called on the government to do, the public safety can only be assured through meaningful regulations that hold users accountable. She declared, “We call on the government to act now. They need to implement regulations, hold them accountable and keep every worker and member of the public safe.”
The independent committee’s review will address these pressing concerns while considering feedback from various community groups. The goal should be to respect people’s right to self-defense while protecting public safety. Ireland recognized the committee’s role here.
“If more needs to be done, we will do it,” – Greg Ireland
