The Northern Territory government has announced the biggest shift in its approach to address domestic and family violence. This decision follows a damning inquest report by Northern Territory Coroner, Elisabeth Armitage. Her recommendations grew out of a historic inquest into the tragic deaths of four Aboriginal women. Addressing the crisis underscores the critical need for more funding and creative approaches to address the crisis. Armitage’s report underscores the Northern Territory’s alarming rates of domestic and family violence, which are the highest in Australia.
Put simply, the rate of intimate partner homicide in the Northern Territory is over seven times the national average. This shocking statistic has prompted city and state leaders, along with community advocates, to push for urgent change. In direct response to these findings, the Northern Territory of Australia government dedicated $36 million per year in funding for improved domestic violence prevention efforts.
Co Responder Model Introduced
The government’s overall new strategy is focused on the Co Responder Model. This model unites various first responders that carry domestic violence instances. Through this initiative, five focused teams will be set up in Palmerston, Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs and Nhulunbuy. Each team would have a police member focused on intelligence. It will include two constables, two Aboriginal liaison officers, one child protection worker from the Department of Children and Families, and two workers from the domestic and family violence sector.
The Co Responder Model addresses the pervasive issues in domestic violence responses today. Most importantly, it addresses the systemic injustices that have plagued the region for too long. We’ve seen police respond to the same repeat calls across buildings and precincts while failing to address the underlying issue and create real change. Chris Le Gay Brereton remarked on this challenge:
“Whereas historically police have been calling out to the same address multiple times, getting nowhere.” – Chris Le Gay Brereton
The model had also recently been tested in Alice Springs for 18 months, where it had allegedly shown very favourable results. Assistant NT Police Commissioner Michael White noted its potential impact:
“It was already identified early that it was going to make a difference.” – Assistant NT Police Commissioner Michael White
Learning from Other Models
The Co Responder Model draws on established successful programs in Queensland to inform best practices. As one Australian pilot program demonstrated, shifting attitudes on a small scale and rapidly reducing the severity of domestic violence incidents among participants might be possible. The Northern Territory government hopes to follow up this success with its own, holistic approach.
The goal of this model is to usher in an age of improved handling of domestic violence cases. Specifically, it encourages a more inclusive, collaborative initiative uniting public, private and nonprofit sectors to work in unison. This multi-disciplinary approach will lead to improved outreach to victims and more successful intervention techniques.
Chris Le Gay Brereton highlighted the necessity of this approach, emphasizing that traditional policing methods have often failed to achieve meaningful results.
“Police have been out on repeated calls to homes and have had minimal to no engagement; in the co-responder model, we’ve been able to engage with those same people.” – Chris Le Gay Brereton
A Call for Change
The establishment of the Co Responder Model is part of a broader response to the stark realities faced by communities in the Northern Territory. Advocates and industry stakeholders have for years pushed for such a program, asserting that it would go a long way in reducing the prevalence of domestic violence.
The recent tragic events of September, during which two women were allegedly killed by their partners, underscore the urgency of these reforms. Stakeholders are eager to see this model implemented. They hope it will lead to a more unified response to domestic violence incidents, and in turn, save more lives.
