Katherine's main street was down and out again today.
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With the grilles and mesh, plus the boards, it is already looking under siege.
It is the tired, old story we've heard again and again over the past few years.
This time it was only one individual who brought the CBD such pain, but it just shows how close to the bottom it is.
Katherine Terrace has been described as a war zone by many local residents as fears of break-ins force shop owners to hide behind metal security screens.
If you were to drive or walk the main street at midday today you'd see something was amiss.
People could be seen stopping to pass on their condolences to the new occupants of what was once The Sweetest Thing as they stood outside with contractors assessing the damage.
A hastily scribbled cardboard 'out of service' sign covered one of the ANZ ATMs.
The Credit Union's glass front door and window will have to be replaced, as will Katherine Real Estate's expansive display window.
A boarded up entrance to Toy World now adds to the jail-like appearance of the main street.
Police were still zipping in and out of businesses, maybe on the hunt for better CCTV images.
There was an air of despair as yet another small business owner prepared to fork over money for repairs
Just after midnight some surveillance video captured a man walking along smashing multiple shop windows and parked cars.
Despite recently updated equipment, the grainy images make it almost impossible to identify him.
The loudspeakers installed along the main street in August, which were supposed to allow police in Darwin monitoring our streets at night the ability to scare off trouble-makers, apparently made no difference.
On social media, calls for harsher penalties have been made clear and recent crime statistics have come into question.
Opposition leader Gary Higgins says the Northern Territory is in a 'crisis', "with Katherine the most recent victim of a string of senseless and pointless crimes along the main street".
Police are making every effort to ensure the man is brought before the court, Superintendent Daniel Shean said.
"Wanton acts of criminal damage will not be tolerated."
And through all of this police and the government are reporting decreasing crime rates and a turnaround for the town.
It is looking like there won't be a shopfront left unprotected at this rate.
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