A Tennant Creek pensioner who has endured 117 burglaries over six years has estimated he has lost $20,000 worth of cash and property.

Tony Jeffs lives in the Haddock Street Pensioner flats, and it was just over a week since the town’s rampaging youth hit his home again.

When they break into his home, Mr Jeffs walks to the local police station to report it, since the youth have stolen 11 mobile phones.

Among the list of stolen belongings include his record of break-ins which he detailed in a notebook, and his stash of coins worth around $5,000 put away for his funeral fund.

The modus operandi of the youth gangs is to attack in numbers. While a few hold the pensioner down, the rest ransack his home.

In one instance, a teenage girl undressed and redressed in his clothes she stole from his wardrobe.

Mr Jeffs is frustrated with the lack of action by the NT Government.

“Who is running Tennant Creek? The youth?” he asked.

“If these are the adults of tomorrow, God help us.

“The Territory Government needs to get of its arse and do something the.

“You’d think the parents of these kids would be held accountable, but unfortunately, in many cases, the parents are young themselves.

“The kids are committing these crimes from midnight to the early morning hours, and then they sleep all day.

“Why isn’t there a curfew to help curb these crimes?”

Mr Jeffs said he would leave Tennant Creek in a heartbeat if he could, but the option is out of his financial scope.

“Residents are living with fear and stress daily,” he said.

“I believe someone will get shot one of these days – and I hope it doesn’t get to that before the NT Government will take action.

This article appeared in Tennant & District Times, 16 February 2024.