Community Safety

Community Safety – commonly referred to as Night Patrol – is funded by the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA). The program’s primary focus is supporting the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable people, particularly during evening hours. A key objective is ensuring children return home at a reasonable hour to promote consistent school attendance and positive daily routines.

MRC operates Community Safety teams in 12 communities, employing more than 70 local Aboriginal staff. We are committed to a local employment model, ensuring the service is delivered by community members who hold strong cultural knowledge, relationships and understanding of local needs. All staff receive regular support, mentoring and training from Alice Springs–based Coordinators to maintain service quality and build capability across the team.

Community Safety teams operate Monday to Friday, between 6 pm and midnight, with hours tailored to the needs and capacity of each community. The program works closely with community stakeholders, Local Authority members and Police to ensure services remain responsive to local needs and strengthened by community support. Local decision making is central to how Community Safety operates, ensuring the program reflects the priorities, cultural practices and expectations of each community.

Core Responsibilities of Community Safety

• Transporting young people to and from Youth Services programs and ensuring they return home to a safe environment.
• Supporting vulnerable community members, including transport to a safe place, the clinic, or Police when required.
• Checking in with community members to ensure their wellbeing and provide assistance where appropriate.
• Monitoring for anti-social behaviour or unsafe situations, such as fighting, and responding in a calm, culturally informed manner.
• Providing a safe and welcoming space at the Community Safety compound where people can sit, talk and connect.
• Defusing conflicts by talking with individuals, calming situations, and helping prevent escalation.
• Promoting understanding of the program, including clarifying that Community Safety staff are not security guards and not police, and are never to place themselves in harm’s way.
• Engaging with community stakeholders to share information, address concerns and support local priorities through collaborative decision making.

If you require further information regarding the Community Safety program at MacDonnell Regional Council please contact the Executive Manager on 0449 798 191