The Northern Territory government will meet on Monday afternoon to discuss extending the curfew in Mparntwe/Alice Springs, with the Territory Police Commissioner flagging a possible extension until early next week.
The 14-day curfew for all people 18 years and under between 6pm and 6am was announced by the NT government as a solution to curb youth crime in the town is scheduled to end on Wednesday.
On Monday, NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy said the Emergency Management Council would meet this afternoon to discuss a possible extension to the curfew, noting it had been "really effective" in Mparntwe/Alice Springs.
"There will be a discussion around the extension of the curfew, possibly until 6am either Monday or Tuesday [next week]," Mr Murphy told ABC Radio Darwin.
"It has driven down crime…the impacts on domestic violence as well are noticeable," he said.
The commissioner said school holidays were taking place this week in the NT, which meant "some more activities around town," as well as a continued "police presence".
The curfew was brought in by the NT government as a result of violent incidents on March 26 in the town.
Tensions surrounding the death of an 18-year-old in a car accident erupted on the day lead to dozens attacking a local tavern, before police reported an estimated 150 people in Hidden Valley community, outside the city, "going armed in public and engaging in violent conduct".
Opinions have been divided on the necessity of the curfew, with some groups arguing it is a circuit breaker that is needed for the embattled town, whilst others - including Amnesty International Australia, NATSILS and NAAJA - have criticised the decision as "knee-jerk" and unlikely to help the issue of youth crime.
The legality of the curfew has also been questioned by the NT police union, who said they had received legal advice that the emergency powers used by the NT government may not be lawful and could be at risk of a legal challenge.
On Friday, it was announced South Australian police had been drafted in to help relieve some of the extra NT police, who had been brought into the town from Darwin after the curfew was announced.
