More Police, Less Excuse

In the endless parade of bureaucratic excuses for rising crime, one truth remains constant, criminals respond to consequences, not compassion. The idea that social workers, youth programs, and community engagement can replace the physical presence of disciplined police officers is not only naïve, but also proven dangerous. The foundational principle of deterrence is straightforward, if crime has swift, certain, and severe consequences, it declines. When it doesn’t, it spreads.

Nowhere is this failure more evident than in high-crime regions like Alice Springs, Katherine, and Darwin, where bureaucratic overreach has created a climate of lawlessness. There, community safety has become a political football, punted between activist judges, virtue-signalling politicians, and departments more concerned with "restorative narratives" than with actual order. The result? Decaying streets, businesses shuttered by theft, and families living behind bars in their own homes while repeat offenders roam free.

The solution doesn’t require more reports, forums, or consultants. It requires more police and security on the ground, not as symbolic traffic wardens or diversity officers, but as active agents of order. Beat patrols, not brochures. Immediate arrests, not endless interventions. Real policing works, and we have the data and history to prove it. When police are visible, proactive, and empowered to act decisively, criminals adjust their behaviour accordingly. They retreat. They hesitate. Some even choose not to offend.

But for that to happen, we need to stop handcuffing the cops and start handcuffing the criminals. The current system is backwards. Offenders know the game, play the mental health card, blame systemic disadvantage, and cite a childhood story to win leniency. Meanwhile, police are burdened with paperwork, micromanaged by legal technocrats, and publicly shamed for doing their jobs.

Crime is not a mystery. It is a rational calculation by those who believe the payoff outweighs the risk. Remove the risk, by neutering police or flooding the justice system with ideology, and you invite more crime. It’s that simple.

We also must stop pretending crime happens in a vacuum. It flourishes in places where law enforcement is weak, slow, or distracted. And while politicians love to shift blame onto society, poverty, or colonisation, these explanations ignore the clear patterns of cause and effect. Areas with a strong, no-nonsense police presence tend to be safer, regardless of income level or demographic makeup.

Policing must return to its proper function, deterrence through dominance. That doesn’t mean brutality or injustice, it means clarity. It means the certainty that those who offend will be caught and punished without delay. It means police who are trained to win confrontations, not avoid them. And it means a judicial system that supports enforcement, rather than undermining it with activist rulings.

In the end, the formula is not complicated, more police, fewer excuses, safer streets. Anything less is just managed decline wrapped in political spin.

From the author.

The opinions and statements are those of Sam Wilks and do not necessarily represent whom Sam Consults or contracts to. Sam Wilks is a skilled and experienced Security and Risk Consultant with 3 decades of expertise in the fields of Real estate, Security, and the hospitality/gaming industry. Sam has trained over 1,000 entry level security personnel, taught defensive tactics, weapons training and handcuffs to policing personnel and the public. His knowledge and practical experience have made him a valuable asset to many organisations looking to enhance their security measures and provide a safe and secure environment for their clients and staff.