Tiwi expands night patrols, cracks down on dogs
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Night patrols have been expanded in the Tiwi Islands, north of Darwin.
Locals are being employed to drive the streets and intervene in problems before they escalate.
Tiwi Islands Shire Council CEO Mark Goode says the patrols have been running in Nuiu for years, but have recently started up in two more communities.
"The Attorney-General's Department has expanded it to Milikapiti and Pirlangimpi and Tiwi staff have been employed and trained," he said.
"I think the community holds them in high regard because it's a way of dealing with issues without resorting to police intervention."
The Tiwi Council is also cracking down on camp dogs.
It has started enforcing a limit of two dogs per household in Nuiu and plans to euthanise the rest.
Mr Goode good says 100 red collars have been distributed and another 200 are on order, to clearly mark which dogs are to stay.
"Everyone's concerned about the dogs," he said.
"There's too many and they're forming packs and many of them are quite sick.
"The council...[will] buy red leather collars and homes are allowed two dogs each, and locals go around and knock on the door and offer the family to choose which two dogs they want to keep."
