A Woolworths store has been forced to shut its security doors while still open and impose strict closing hours to try and curb violent incidents.
The Alice Springs Woolworths will bring forward its closing time from 9pm to 7pm from January 30 to protect shoppers and staff from 'incidents'.
'The safety and well-being of our team and customers is of the utmost importance to us,' a statement from Woolworths reads.
'We believe that this change in trading hours will help to reduce the likelihood of incidents occurring.'
Supermarket giant, Woolworths, had to close security doors to exits at its Alice Springs store (pictured) while shoppers were still inside to try and curb violent incidents
The supermarket has recently closed security doors across all exits at night from January 15 in response to a violent attack at the store.
'There is no place for violence anywhere in our community,' Woolworths' statement reads.
'We thank police for their swift response to the incident that occurred at our Alice Springs store recently.
'Our team reacted calmly to the incident in line with our established safety procedures, and we thank them for doing so in trying circumstance.'
The town is in the grip of a spate of break-ins, robberies and violent crimes committed primarily by youth in the area.
The store had to bring forward its closing time from 9pm to 7pm (pictured) for the safety of staff and customers as the outback town experiences a wave of youth crime
A photo of the closed security doors with shoppers still inside was shared to the Facebook page, Action for Alice 2020, with many commenters upset with how far the situation had come.
'The whole of Australia should be outraged at what is going on in Alice,' one commenter wrote.
'Where are our elected leaders? Where is the Police commissioner or anyone to address the poor suffering mugs of Alice,' another commenter wrote.
'I was at the post office at 7pm and there wasn’t a single person around… no mob,' one commenter wrote, kicking back at the outrage.
'I call BS. Nobody in this picture looks concerned for themselves!'
Darren Clarke (pictured), who runs the Action for Alice 2020 Facebook page, where the images were posted, has called for the sacking of NT Police Minister Kate Worden
The owner of an Alice Springs bakery, Darren Clarke, who also runs the Action for Alice 2020 Facebook page, took aim at NT Police Minister Kate Worden in an interview with Sky News on Tuesday morning.
'Anthony Albanese when he gets off the plane, the first thing he should say to (NT Chief Minister) Natasha Fyles is 'Kate Worden, go',' Mr Clarke said.
'She has to go and she has to go today.'
Police and some commentators claim crime levels in the outback town have escalated since the government lifted bans on alcohol in July.
Problems were 'immediate', police said, when the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory Act ceased on July 17, 2022, meaning alcohol was available for the first time in many of the Territory's Indigenous settlements since 2007.
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