As Alice Springs emerges from its second curfew in three months, there is little appetite for more in the Northern Territory town.
Thursday night was the town's first after a three-day public social disorder declaration, banning residents and visitors from entering the CBD overnight in a bid to extinguish a flare-up of violence.
While the NT government and police force say it achieved its intended effect in the short term, advocates warn the repeated curfews will do more harm than good.
Karly Warner, chair of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, called the curfew an infringement of civil liberties and a "knee-jerk" response that only displaced crime to regional areas.
"The NT government now needs to look at resourcing local organisations, including Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, to ensure there are the immediate supports and programs to help young people get what they need now, including safe places to go at night, and to stay on track," she said.
NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy acknowledged the curfew was not a long-term solution but had a "noticeable effect" in preventing public disorder after a series of violent incidents, including a brawl involving 80 people and a knife attack on a 42-year-old woman.
An earlier three-week youth curfew was imposed in March following a series of wild brawls.
Both events were precipitated by an influx of residents from surrounding communities during school holidays and drawn by events such as NAIDOC Week celebrations.
With the town straining to accommodate thousands more people on the streets, violence was inevitable, said Alice Springs Mayor Matt Paterson.
"We need to build some infrastructure where people can actually stay overnight because we bring everyone in from remote communities but we don't have enough beds here," he told AAP.
The federal government in 2023 announced a $250 million package for Alice Springs but not enough money had been spent on improving conditions in remote communities, leading to poorer economic, educational and health outcomes, Mr Paterson said.
He wanted to see a youth foyer, which provides up to two years' accommodation for 16 to 24-year-olds at risk of homelessness, established in Alice Springs.
"I dont want to continue talking about curfews because it's a short-term measure. We're being reactive," he said.
Nicole Walsh, chief operating officer of the NT Chamber of Commerce, said the measure was an important circuit breaker but agreed rolling curfews would damage Alice Springs' image, driving away tourists and workers.
"People Google and think, 'oh my god I'm not bringing my family there', and that's such a shame," she said.
"We've got NAIDOC here this week, and it's absolutely amazing. It's beautiful weather, and we're such a great town."
