I am assuming then Runner that if any of us are robbed or bashed by white youth, then we also go ahead and vilify all people of Anglo/European origin?
Can't we just be upset with criminals, regardless of the colour of their skin?

I am not condoning their crimes, but rather I am saying we shouldn't be racist about it.

Actually I agree and wholly sympathise with everybody's comments and contributions on this, a difficult and complex area of law-enforcement. I've mentioned previously, probably (ad nauseam), I was a relieving sergeant in the bush for awhile, therefore I've had quite a bit to do with the indigenous blacks.

Moreover I have a personal friend, a psychiatrist, who did some relieving locum work, both for the N.T. & W.A. Govt's. trying to interdict instances of brutal domestic violence within the family unit.

From my own observation, most black youths who live in these far western areas of the State are habitually depressed and view their futures as utterly hopeless, and few have any insight as to why? It's really simple, because of their unrestrained alcohol and drug use.

They hate and view police with suspicion and mistrust. Employment is almost beyond them, because of their inebriation, aggression and unreliability. Most perceive whites as raciest and many are, not because of their colour, but because of their disruptive and disobedient activities. Together with this highly aggressive behaviour, and again their constant state of inebriation? Before I was sent to the bush I had a very low opinion of our black youths, no doubt perpetuated by this aggressive conduct?

My 'trick cyclist' friend and I had frequently conferred on what could be done about this intractable predicament, neither of us could offer any solution? Other than to predict a whole generation of black youth could be lost; to suicide and hanging is the preferred method, unintentional overdosing, on concoctions of alcohol, licit and illicit drugs, and this is 2016?

Somehow I'd like the opportunity to arrest and flog the 'bejesus' out of these bastards who knowingly provide these vulnerable black youths with grog, in area's that've clearly been deemed as 'dry'!

John Big Mac,

Commiserations for being the unfortunate victim of several crimes.

We moored in Ross River approx twenty years ago and the indigenous drunkenness, abuse and violence went on all night until they collapsed somewhere, but not before assaulting the nearest female.

There are once pretty, safe and welcoming country towns that we now bypass when travelling. The populations have changed over the years. You wouldn't dream of camping or parking a motorhome anywhere near the fringes of towns (and cities) and theft from caravan parks by locals is now common. For example, visitors to Dubbo are warned by police and not just concerning theft.

It is a pity, because country businesses could do with more trade.

The Lord Mayor of Darwin has shown time and time again how difficult the 'itinerant' problem is to solve.

Dear Suse,

The website "Creative Spirits" explains that
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
are massively over-represented in the
criminal justice system of Australia.

We're told that Aboriginal people represent only
3% of the total population, yet more than 28% of
Australia's prison population are Aboriginal.
We're told that the prison rates are highest in
WA. That re-offending rates are high that young
Aboriginal people especially in rural and remote
areas are offenders.

There is a variety of reasons for this.
Family breakdowns, lack of language skills,
health problems,police behaviour, poverty and
unemployment, inadequate legal representation,
police behaviour and people's attitdues, just to
mention a few.

'That re-offending rates are high that young
Aboriginal people especially in rural and remote
areas are offenders.
There is a variety of reasons for this.'

I thought Rose said that their was never any excuse for domestic violence. Wasn't a previous Labour PM candidate lambasted for suggesting dv is not always simplistic. Now Foxy is admitting at least with the Indigeneous dv it is a little complex. No wonder people are confused. Many aboriginal men are in prison for flogging their woman.

Coupla years back I helped out a friend who owned a small store in a tourist area selling mixed goods.

The store wasn't particularly prone to theft but he had security cameras installed as part of his insurance.

One afternoon a group of four teenage boys came in. The leader was clearly aboriginal, two could have been and one (I thought) clearly wasn't (red hair, white complexion). While serving other customers I noticed on the security monitors that the boys were helping themselves to various chocolate bars. Not wanting to make a fuss, I sidled up to the obviously not-aboriginal boy, pointed out that there were cameras recording their theft, asked that they replace the items and leave.

To my surprise he asserted that I was only picking on him because he was aboriginal. I said no it was because he was a thief. They left straight away.

Two weeks later I was visited by the police wanting my name. A charge of racial discrimination had been made against us. The police explained that even though it was a he-said-they-said type of thing, we'd eventually be asked to make some payment to make it go away. I retrieved the archive of the actual incident, showed that they were clearly stealing and that race had nothing to do with it.

Thereupon the police advised that, given what was on the tape the whole thing would probably be dropped but I should retain a copy of the recording for at least 3 years.

Pissed off, I told the police that since they had the boys details and I had the tape, I wanted to prosecute the boys as a lesson.

The cops just laughed, told me I was very naive and that things didn't work like that. They warned me that I and the shop would regret it badly if I did pursue the matter, that we'd get no help from them and the full force of the Race Commission would descend on us.

So I let it pass. But I've never looked at the world in quite the same way again.