Around one in every 20 residents of the remote Top End community of Wadeye is in jail following months of unrest and violent disputes between families, according to Northern Territory Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker.
More than 500 people have been displaced and nearly 100 homes destroyed in what has previously been described as a humanitarian situation in the community 400 kilometres south west of Darwin.
Commissioner Chalker said around five per cent of the community of just under 2000 people is currently in jail, following police operations both in Wadeye and Darwin.
"That's a sad indictment on what's occurring and there has been a significant multi-agency engagement going on with stakeholders on the ground to try and turn the tide around," Commissioner Chalker told ABC Darwin.
"We've had to make arrests where people are going to a local hardware store and stealing axes and other types of improvised weapons and storing them to ultimately get out there.
As part of a four-week operation beginning in October, police roadblocks were set up to crack down on alcohol being smuggled into the dry community.
"We had significant road interdictions [with officers] seizing upwards of 20 one litre bottles of rum [at a time]," Commissioner Chalker said.
"I picked this up from my recent visit to Wadeye [that] bottles rum are selling for $500."
Police officer injured, man assaulted with axe this week
Since the police roadblocks were removed, Thamarurr Development Corporation chief executive, Scott McIntyre, said he believed alcohol-fuelled violence had increased again.
"[The operation] had a big impact on reducing the amount of alcohol coming into the community," he said.
"Since Operation Tarn finished and the roadblock has been lifted we've seen an increase in alcohol coming back in.
"There was a couple of days where people said there was a lot of alcohol, a lot of drunk people, a lot of disturbances."
On Friday police reported that a man had been wounded in the leg by an alleged assault with an axe on Thursday night.
Police said a group of people allegedly threw rocks at officers when they were called to the scene.
They said a female police officer was hit in the forehead with a rock. Both she and the injured man were treated at the local clinic.
Commissioner Chalker condemned the alleged attack on officers.
"This is all a social breakdown unfortunately and we are at the pointy end of trying to maintain some semblance of control and order," he said.
"Our four-week operation was very successful, it took a lot of the sting out of the community."
Hope 'peaceful' program will create lasting change
Mr McIntyre said the community was hopeful that a new mediation-based program would help bring an end to the violence.
The Marda Pek Pek program, which translates to "peaceful spirit", began last month and has a staff of more than 20 people in the community.
"We're trying to work with people to prevent anti-social behaviour, fighting, understand the things that are contributing to disturbances and problems," Mr McIntyre said.
He said police were supportive of the program auspiced by Thamarurr, which is owned by the three main ceremonial groups in the region.
"The community can't do it by themselves, nor can the police," he said.
"These incidents are going to keep happening that we're seeing, particuarly if there is alcohol is involved ... but there is some hope.
"There’s been a really strong sense from the community that at last there's something on the ground led by people … trying to create positive change."
