The opposition leader landed in Darwin on Saturday afternoon, where he went straight to the safe Labor-held seat of Solomon as the campaign enters its final stretch.
Visiting the Karama shopping centre with Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro and coalition senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Mr Dutton heard from Territorians concerned about escalating violence.
Pharmacy attendant Erica Baun said locals were fed up with what they said were increasing incidents.
"People feel unsafe coming shopping here," she said.
"There's no magic wand ... it's something that needs to be looked at, deeply, dealt with, properly.
"Everyone's had enough."
Holding a small roundtable in the shopping centre with Ms Finocchiaro and the coalition's candidate for Solomon Lisa Bayliss, Mr Dutton claimed Anthony Albanese had ignored the crime issue.
Hearing from locals talk about how they had found meat cleavers on the street, the opposition leader promised to remain focused on community safety if he wins on May 3.
"It instils in you ... forever a real sense of what's right and wrong, and what we've seen in the NT for a long time is just wrong," Mr Dutton said.
"You need financial support and moral support to get on top of bail laws ... and to provide a secure environment for people to lead their lives.
"The current government is too focused on what's happening in the inner cities of Sydney and Melbourne with the Greens."
The opposition leader spent just hours in the Top End after he arrived from Far North Queensland, as the pace of the campaign heated up.
Mr Dutton earlier visited a Cairns medical clinic in the seat of Leichhardt with local candidate Jeremy Neal, where he announced 25 commonwealth-supported medical places at James Cook University to boost local GP numbers.
The Liberals are fighting to hold onto the seat after the retirement of long-serving Warren Entsch.
Labor has put up former Cairns Taipan NBL player Matt Smith.
Speaking at a breakfast with party faithful, Mr Neal's campaign director Wayne Fitcher said the vibe when chatting to voters was awesome and the feeling on the ground good but his team wasn't taking risks.
"We've got eight days to go ... to continue Warren Entsch's legacy," he told reporters.
"The electorate and our members are over the moon about Peter Dutton being here."
Mr Entsch was not at the breakfast but has gotten behind Mr Neal after his own pick to succeed him wasn't chosen.
Spruiking the coalition's housing credentials, Mr Dutton also promised $33.8 million for infrastructure upgrades to support Mount Peter Residential Estate.
The surrounding southern growth corridor is forecast to accommodate more than 42,000 homes.
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