FOOT PATROLS TO USE TRADITIONAL OWNERS IN ALICE SPRINGS

Lhere Artepe Corporation CEO Graeme Smith. Credit: Supplied.

In Alice Springs, the Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation is setting up a professional foot patrol to help maintain law and order. 

The service aims to have boots on the ground by next week and will employ full-time staff as well as casual team members.

Lhere Artepe corporation CEO and Arrernte man Graeme Smith has helped to organise the patrols. 

He said the program had a level of cultural legitimacy and social authority. 

“The fact that we’re Traditional Owners is what we can do differently,” he said.

“No one else can deliver what we’re delivering, because they’re not the Traditional Owners, and therefore they cannot speak with cultural authority against the other groups in this town,” he said.

“We as Traditional Owners have that authority, and it’s not been tried or tested in this town as yet.

“Just having the authority to walk up in your own town and tell another tribal group, ‘behave, this is our country.’”

Listen to an interview with Graeme Smith for more.