Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well as part of the Northern Territory Defense Veterans Strategy.
(00:03):
The Northern Territory government's announced Operation Thrive. It's a multifaceted
action plan focused on enhancing support for veterans and their families.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Now joining me in the studio to tell us.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
More about it is Brent Potter, the Minister for Veterans
Affairs and also the Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Good morning to.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Your minister, Morning Katie, Morning listeners.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Now, firstly, why was this plan devised?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
So it comes out of the Northern Territory Veterans Strategy,
the first one we released earlier in the year, and
it's basically how we operationalize or deliver on our objectives
of the strategy. So Thrive has a bunch of pillars
in it. This being the first the GP training for
the thirty two general practitioners. And as I said yesterday,
there's about four ex army doctors that are in Darwin
and they seem to get everyone going to them because
(00:47):
they understand us and we're a finicky bunch.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
We don't like to go the doctor at the best
of time.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
When we do go, we want to go to someone
we trust, so it's about getting more doctors available so
that we can see them and spread the loan.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
And so it means that they're going to get that
specific training so that they are able to see those
veterans and able to sort of talk to them about
the issues that they may or may not have correct.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
I mean, how far will that go?
Speaker 1 (01:08):
I suppose do you think that it's going to entice
everybody to get in there and go and see the GP.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
Time will tell. I mean.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
One of the complexities is around the DBA claims process.
And so just as a very small example, if you
go see a GP and they're not familiar with the
process and they put in the paperwork for a particular claim,
it is denied because you haven't met the proofs. Makes
it very difficult later to go back and get it.
So you may have mental health you haven't been approved
because you didn't meet the proofs. You've then got a
fight to get that overturned. Or as if a doctor
knows exactly the process, it can be very streamlined.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Well, we do have a large contingent of defense families
in the Northern Territory, so it sounds as so it's needed.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
It's about ten thousand. I mean the on base health
services are amazing. So when you're in you've got a
really good support network and they've got a DVA transition
person on baseball when you transition, but when you leave
it becomes a little bit more difficult.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
So how quickly is this going to kick off?
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Starts that day, so the training of fratuitously on Remembrance Day,
so they're doing it at the same time.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
So we'll so I were head.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
There after lunch and catch up with the trainees or
the trainees the doctors, but the guys going through the course,
and yeah, to roll that straight away.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Now just on Remembrance Day. There's quite a bit planned
obviously for the Northern Territory.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
What's on your standard centotaphs at at Palmerston, the City
ten and Creek Catherine. I'll be attending the Darin one
run by the Ursel.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Well, we are going to try and catch up with
the RSL.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
I think we're in the process of organizing that for
tomorrow so we can make sure that we let all
of our listeners know exactly what he is planned.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
But look, this does sound like a good program.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I think if we are able to get more gps
that are trained in this space to actually help our veterans.
Then I hope that that's a step in the right direction,
particularly when you look at mental health, and particularly when
you look at the Royal Commission and everything that's gone
on in recent times.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
And it's lived.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Experience from my perspective, so being a veteran, I get
it probably more than most. There's more to come, though,
so Operation Thrive won't just be GP services. There's a
bunch of pillars, education, lifestyle, support and legacy. So we'll
push more out in that space.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yeah, be working through that now, Brent.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
We did just with the mia Vella springs Matt Patterson
a little bit earlier this morning.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
I believe on last count over the last three nights,
about nine vehicles story. Yeah, and at one point earlier
in the week.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Those cars, from what Nathan Finn, the Police Association president
told us yesterday, driving out the cops and throwing rocks at.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
The police don't deserve it. After going out on the
weekend and seeing the stuff they put up with, they
don't deserve it. And they're just going out responding to
criminals doing the wrong thing. And yeah, it's three cars
over three or so three cars at nine for three nights,
so nine but police then Viper. I've done a fantastic job.
That's task Force vipe. As they've tried in Dahn. We
have VIPER in our springs. We've currently got four arrests.
We've got the investigation guys currently working through that rhythm
(03:42):
and listen, I'm sure that they'll get the other well
people involved in it very shortly.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
I suspect do we know what ages?
Speaker 4 (03:49):
The ages? I'm happy to come back to you.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
When I do have them.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
And in terms of you know, making sure that we're
prepared for the summer season. So this is something that
Matt Patterson had spoken about, the fact that you know,
there war worried that things are going to really kick
off worse than they already are over the Christmas break.
What plans are underway from your.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Perspective, purely can't be a policing responsibility. And that's sort
of what I've learned in the last couple of days
as well. It's got to be all agencies. So I
know we're working on more activities in communities and for them,
those that do coming to own more activities, there will
be an increased policing presence, absolutely, and we'll have more
to say on that. I mean Alice Springs next week,
so I'm going to catch up with the mayor. We
saw each other yesterday, but I did commit to come
down and see him, So I do a couple of
days there right along, and we'll do some more announcements
(04:27):
around it. But policing's one part needs to be strong
and it will be. We don't want to see a
repeat of last Christmas.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
What do you think of his comments about these thirty
four social service providers And he's sort of saying, you know,
if we've got thirty four social service providers that are
being funded by the Northern Territory and federal governments and
we've got the issues that we're seeing on the streets,
are they doing their jobs?
Speaker 4 (04:46):
Oh listen. I think we need to review it all
the time.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
I think every service that government funds need to be
needs to be reviewed and see if it's fit for purpose.
And that's what I saw on the weekend that it
was police out and police only. So I think that
those service providers, if they're not out after dark, they
need to be out after dark. And without knowing which
particular provider and what the service is. If they're not
out there, we need to be getting them out because
it's happening at nighttime and police are the only ones
out there.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Now you've touched on the fact that you were with
the police over the weekend.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
We'd spoken to the Police Association yesterday Nathan Finn, and
he had said that you'd been out on that ride along.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Where did you go and what did you experience?
Speaker 3 (05:19):
I've done three thus fin I'll do something else. We
had an afternoon shift in darwen St five to midnight
on Friday. That was all around day on Casarina, and
then I did night shift ten till five am in
day and again and then Monday we did an afternoon shift.
Although Monday was quieter in Palmerston. I think it was
probably Murphy's Laurea. I was in the car and there
wasn't much happening. But Saturday night was an absolute eye
open with the city Safe guys. They do an amazing
(05:40):
job and they put themselves in the front line every
night they go out and do it and watch them
drunk people falling out of nightclubs. Some people have some
disgusting behaviors to answer for.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Well, So what exactly did really open your eyes because
I'm assuming that it's not just a disgusting behavior out
of nightclubs.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
I'm thinking that there's probably plenty more.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Yeah, listen, it was you had. We had people just
out lingering, roaming the streets for no purpose sort of.
That was a big concern for me because if you've
got nothing to do, you've got nowhere to stay, well,
then you're going to get into behaviors at a lester side,
which leads to crime. So we did, you know, as
unlawful entries, there wasn't as many. To be completely frank,
the city safe was the primary job they got too.
We got to go and see because there was a
(06:17):
lot of stuff happening on Mitchell Street with alcohol. It
was fairly quiet, as with a lot of DV that
was occurring. That was that was clear in Casarina went
to a road accident happened on Tiger Brennan, so it
was a busy night. But as they said, Mitchell Street
after dark, after that two am when they start to
see the lockouts happen. That was when it was really
starting to pick up. And you know, my Kudo's acknowledgement
and go to the city Safe guys and all the
gd patrol Group guys.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Now any like upon those those sort of drive a
longs and what you've seen, is there any proficiencies that
you can see from the you know that for the police,
things that you can do as the police minister to
try to.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Help them to make their jobs easier and more streamlined.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
Absolutely, I think there's some stuff we can look at.
And as I said to the guys in the grounds,
about regaining minutes for them. So some of them aren't
taking a lunch break. If I can find efficiencies that
gain them an hour two hours, that's a great efficiency.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
Give them a lunch break, go to more jobs.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
As an example, taking someone into custody, they may need
to get an authority authorization to take in a custody.
It may require a doctor. They're waiting too long at
the hospital. They need to get prioritized when they're in
there with a person in custody. They need to be
seen straight away. Obviously not taking away when an ambulance
comes in, but they need to be seen and moved
through so they're back on the road.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
Because sometimes that there was one crew who wasn't at
the muster room and they'd been.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
There for a couple of hours waiting to be seen,
and that's a car off the road because they got
someone in custody they want to take in custody, but
they need to get seen by a doctor, which obviously
debts and custody that they said that, which is perfectly fine,
but we need to be getting the back on the
road as fast as.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
So you've literally got a situation where you've got police officers,
like two police officers sitting at the hospital for a.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Couple of hours.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Depending on the workload of the hospital. Right, sometimes they'll
get any straight away. We all understand they've got to
nurse at the parts to watch house, but when they
get to that high risk category, they need a doctor.
So what I want to do is find efficiency that
when they come in, we're making every effort to get
them seen as fast as we can so they're back
on the road because we are chasing minutes. We're acing
minutes on their shift to go and do paperwork and
catch up with other other jobs that are outstanding.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
That was one of them.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
I think we need to be working better with territory families.
I think we need to have territory families on the road,
integrated with the police network. And what I mean by
that is there's a lot of preventive and I'm not
saying they're not doing it, but we can do it better.
I think that that became evident to me on the
ride alongs. So those are things I'll be looking at
work with the ministers and to be completely open, the
Minister for Territory Families is absolutely supported to working on this.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
She said it very clearly herself.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
So do you mean like when you're out, you know,
with territory families, because we talk a lot, like we've
you know, we've all spoken about this so much. You've
been here for discussions on the week that was about this,
where we go, well, hang on a set, there's actually
kids that are out on the streets at night.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Why are they out on the streets at night?
Speaker 1 (08:38):
But also the police in some instances, if they're not
doing anything wrong, do not have the power to do
anything with them.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
So where is Territory families at that point?
Speaker 3 (08:47):
So they get when they when police have take a
child into attention or custody depending on what they've done,
Territory families, depending on where they are, will get called
in to pick them up. I don't want there to
be a lag for police to hold on someone any longer.
Luck the hospital piece, get the person, hand the person off,
get back.
Speaker 4 (09:02):
On the road.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
You can police be hanging on to that person for inside.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
I think how long is the ball of string? It
depends on every individual event. You know, if it's a
busy night, I would assume so this is ours, but
I don't want it to be ours.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
I want to be minutes.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
So you know, those are things we're going to look
at with the Minister for Territory Families, and she said
the same thing to me. We can do better, let's
do it together. So we're laser focused on it between
me and her to get this fixed.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Well, because it does just seem like a waste of
police resources.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
I think that police and somes have to attend the job.
They have to go and make sure it's safe. But
then when they realize there's no crime being committed or
it's just a welfare issue, then it hands out of
territory families and police need to be chasing criminals and
dealing with crime and preventing crime.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Now you and I again have spoken quite a bit
about public drunkenness, that public drinking.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Is that something that you saw and experienced while you're
on those Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
They we've got an alcohol policing operation ongoing at the moment,
and the commissioners initiate that and it is working. You know,
some people may not notice it, but there is definitely less.
It is a decline in drinking and Darwin that will continue,
I believing through to Christmas. But we know if you're
tipping out, Grold, you're making it uncomfortable going to start
to see less dvs in the afternoon and the night.
She'd set it to us if people are doing if
we're getting on top of grog in the morning and afternoon,
(10:06):
their job becomes lighter in the afternoon and the evening,
which means they're going back to proactive policing and they're
getting ahead of the jobs well and truly before they
start at the moment, as I found on the nights,
if they're getting called to jobs back to back to back,
for example, they would rather be aut doing a random
RBT right here as an example.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
So we have not seen things like that for quite
some time.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
You know, it does seem as though the police resources
being tied up with other things, and that unfortunately they've
not been in a situation where they're able to do that.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Real proactive police.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
We're still doing RBTs. You've got the Road Policing Unit
based out of Partmason. There are in all our major
population centers. But I think what I was getting at
more so is that a GD car could just go, Hey,
we're waiting for a job, let's just pull over right now,
let's do some random breath testing. It's those little pieces
that I think we all remember pre COVID, and you know,
I know people don't like hearing it. We are still
feeling the repercussions of that. We're seeing a decline in
(10:53):
the attrition rate. We've gone from about ten point one
to nine point five. If we keep on that rate
and we keep recruiting like we're doing, we're going to
get a better resource outcome.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Now, alcohol legislation, it is going to be brought to
Parliament next sittings. The Chief Minister and said to us,
I believe that there is going to be some of
that legislation brought to Parliament next sittings. What do you
want to see or who do you want to meet
with to make sure I'm assuming the police to make
sure that they've got the tools that they need when
it comes to some of this alcohol, these alcohol issues,
(11:23):
to make sure that they've got the legislation that they need.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
I think Nathan said it on the radio yesterday. It
is a health response. I mean, police get called to
the jobs, and it is difficult to go to all
the jobs. So what I would like to see is
I do want to see us review the three year
liquor review outcomes.
Speaker 4 (11:37):
And what we can do around that.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Nathan will absolutely be involved with the NTPA, will absolutely
be involved in any changes, and I'm sure hospital nt
I mean it is the chief's portfolio. What I do
agree with though, is that we need to be able
to figure out who is drinking. And I saw that
on the first job I tended. It was actually in
pra Ap. It was a couple that had had their
grog tipped out, had a DBO, and so the cops
got the name out, figured out that a DBO and
(11:59):
that was the creme a behavior or that was the
breach of the DBO. So it wasn't physically the drinking,
but it was the association together and we're seeing a
lot of that and DVO. Sorry, DV is is our
biggest problem. It's a scourge on our society. So if
we can start to address that early, those are some
of the changes I'm looking at with the with the
with the chief.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
So we'll see where that lands. But that is obviously
hair port filling.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
It's really interesting though, that you know in that that
ride along, that that's something that you saw then for yourself, I've.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
Seen your parents live in my electure and said I
drive around a lot, used to drive around a lot
and see it and poured it all in.
Speaker 4 (12:30):
So it wasn't something that was foreign to me.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
But just to see how long when a DV incident
takes a crew off the road for another hour or
two hours, you know that's another car that's not on
the road. So we need to we need to be
fine in those minutes to get back those hours so
we can go to more jobs.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
For the territories.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Now, look, before I let you go the daily region,
it's it's been going through some some difficult times. Daily
River community or at the surrounds going through some really
difficult times. At the moment, I understand the school had
been closed due to unrest.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Where are things at so the moment I've been told
there's been two days of calm. We've definitely got more
officers than them. We've got officers from Catherine, from Darwin,
I think Major Crimes and Serious Crimes Unit, and we've
had more gds down there.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
They've made a bunch of arrest I think I believe
the numbers eight.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
There's ten offenders they identified, So you've got five adults,
three youth, one outstanding and one was underage.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
And we saw a bunch of houses destroyed in that.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
But I'm told there's enough short term accommodation in the
area for those people to be relocated.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
It does sound as so.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
You know, you've got different members of the community sort
of at war at ords with each other. What work's
being done with the elders to try and sort that out.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
So Chief Men's Department brings a whole of guvernment agency
approach to it. I believe they've done one community meeting already.
They're lined up to do another one when the elders
are ready to do so. I think you're nailed it, absolutely, Katie.
It's got to do with two different groups in that
region we are putting it. We've committed to a new
police station in Peppe to see that fully manned. So
you know, these are issues that we all know who
they are. Don't want to give a name because they
(13:53):
don't to publicize what they do. But all those offenders
were male, all of those were from a particular community,
and the local member down there's been very much engage
in trying to mediate that and get police resource. So
credit to Duran, but I think it's something that again,
when police are going to it, it's reactionary. It should
always be the prevention beforehand, and I think that's where
Territory Family is in chief Men's Department are actively involved.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
All right, Brent, before we let you go this morning, mate,
one of our listeners has nicknamed you the Flash. Are
you prepared to take on that nickname and work as
quickly as possible to try and sort some of these
issues out.
Speaker 4 (14:27):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (14:27):
Absolutely, I'll take the Flash any day because I would
hate to see some of the other names that get
thrown at me on social media.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
So we'll keep the Flash.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
But I can tell you I wasn't fast enough at
the PT with the recruits on Tuesday. They absolutely smashed me,
so that'd be fit they were fit and your criminal
running away from.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Them, so that's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Well Brent Potter, the Minister for Veterans Affairs, Police, Fire
and Emergency Services and let's hope the Flash good.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
To catch up with you this morning. Thank you, Jo.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
Thanks
Well as part of the Northern Territory Defense Veterans Strategy.
(00:03):
The Northern Territory government's announced Operation Thrive. It's a multifaceted
action plan focused on enhancing support for veterans and their families.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Now joining me in the studio to tell us.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
More about it is Brent Potter, the Minister for Veterans
Affairs and also the Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Good morning to.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Your minister, Morning Katie, Morning listeners.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Now, firstly, why was this plan devised?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
So it comes out of the Northern Territory Veterans Strategy,
the first one we released earlier in the year, and
it's basically how we operationalize or deliver on our objectives
of the strategy. So Thrive has a bunch of pillars
in it. This being the first the GP training for
the thirty two general practitioners. And as I said yesterday,
there's about four ex army doctors that are in Darwin
and they seem to get everyone going to them because
(00:47):
they understand us and we're a finicky bunch.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
We don't like to go the doctor at the best
of time.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
When we do go, we want to go to someone
we trust, so it's about getting more doctors available so
that we can see them and spread the loan.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
And so it means that they're going to get that
specific training so that they are able to see those
veterans and able to sort of talk to them about
the issues that they may or may not have correct.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
I mean, how far will that go?
Speaker 1 (01:08):
I suppose do you think that it's going to entice
everybody to get in there and go and see the GP.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
Time will tell. I mean.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
One of the complexities is around the DBA claims process.
And so just as a very small example, if you
go see a GP and they're not familiar with the
process and they put in the paperwork for a particular claim,
it is denied because you haven't met the proofs. Makes
it very difficult later to go back and get it.
So you may have mental health you haven't been approved
because you didn't meet the proofs. You've then got a
fight to get that overturned. Or as if a doctor
knows exactly the process, it can be very streamlined.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Well, we do have a large contingent of defense families
in the Northern Territory, so it sounds as so it's needed.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
It's about ten thousand. I mean the on base health
services are amazing. So when you're in you've got a
really good support network and they've got a DVA transition
person on baseball when you transition, but when you leave
it becomes a little bit more difficult.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
So how quickly is this going to kick off?
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Starts that day, so the training of fratuitously on Remembrance Day,
so they're doing it at the same time.
Speaker 4 (01:59):
So we'll so I were head.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
There after lunch and catch up with the trainees or
the trainees the doctors, but the guys going through the course,
and yeah, to roll that straight away.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Now just on Remembrance Day. There's quite a bit planned
obviously for the Northern Territory.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
What's on your standard centotaphs at at Palmerston, the City
ten and Creek Catherine. I'll be attending the Darin one
run by the Ursel.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Well, we are going to try and catch up with
the RSL.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
I think we're in the process of organizing that for
tomorrow so we can make sure that we let all
of our listeners know exactly what he is planned.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
But look, this does sound like a good program.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
I think if we are able to get more gps
that are trained in this space to actually help our veterans.
Then I hope that that's a step in the right direction,
particularly when you look at mental health, and particularly when
you look at the Royal Commission and everything that's gone
on in recent times.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
And it's lived.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Experience from my perspective, so being a veteran, I get
it probably more than most. There's more to come, though,
so Operation Thrive won't just be GP services. There's a
bunch of pillars, education, lifestyle, support and legacy. So we'll
push more out in that space.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yeah, be working through that now, Brent.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
We did just with the mia Vella springs Matt Patterson
a little bit earlier this morning.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
I believe on last count over the last three nights,
about nine vehicles story. Yeah, and at one point earlier
in the week.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Those cars, from what Nathan Finn, the Police Association president
told us yesterday, driving out the cops and throwing rocks at.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
The police don't deserve it. After going out on the
weekend and seeing the stuff they put up with, they
don't deserve it. And they're just going out responding to
criminals doing the wrong thing. And yeah, it's three cars
over three or so three cars at nine for three nights,
so nine but police then Viper. I've done a fantastic job.
That's task Force vipe. As they've tried in Dahn. We
have VIPER in our springs. We've currently got four arrests.
We've got the investigation guys currently working through that rhythm
(03:42):
and listen, I'm sure that they'll get the other well
people involved in it very shortly.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
I suspect do we know what ages?
Speaker 4 (03:49):
The ages? I'm happy to come back to you.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
When I do have them.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
And in terms of you know, making sure that we're
prepared for the summer season. So this is something that
Matt Patterson had spoken about, the fact that you know,
there war worried that things are going to really kick
off worse than they already are over the Christmas break.
What plans are underway from your.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Perspective, purely can't be a policing responsibility. And that's sort
of what I've learned in the last couple of days
as well. It's got to be all agencies. So I
know we're working on more activities in communities and for them,
those that do coming to own more activities, there will
be an increased policing presence, absolutely, and we'll have more
to say on that. I mean Alice Springs next week,
so I'm going to catch up with the mayor. We
saw each other yesterday, but I did commit to come
down and see him, So I do a couple of
days there right along, and we'll do some more announcements
(04:27):
around it. But policing's one part needs to be strong
and it will be. We don't want to see a
repeat of last Christmas.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
What do you think of his comments about these thirty
four social service providers And he's sort of saying, you know,
if we've got thirty four social service providers that are
being funded by the Northern Territory and federal governments and
we've got the issues that we're seeing on the streets,
are they doing their jobs?
Speaker 4 (04:46):
Oh listen. I think we need to review it all
the time.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
I think every service that government funds need to be
needs to be reviewed and see if it's fit for purpose.
And that's what I saw on the weekend that it
was police out and police only. So I think that
those service providers, if they're not out after dark, they
need to be out after dark. And without knowing which
particular provider and what the service is. If they're not
out there, we need to be getting them out because
it's happening at nighttime and police are the only ones
out there.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Now you've touched on the fact that you were with
the police over the weekend.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
We'd spoken to the Police Association yesterday Nathan Finn, and
he had said that you'd been out on that ride along.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Where did you go and what did you experience?
Speaker 3 (05:19):
I've done three thus fin I'll do something else. We
had an afternoon shift in darwen St five to midnight
on Friday. That was all around day on Casarina, and
then I did night shift ten till five am in
day and again and then Monday we did an afternoon shift.
Although Monday was quieter in Palmerston. I think it was
probably Murphy's Laurea. I was in the car and there
wasn't much happening. But Saturday night was an absolute eye
open with the city Safe guys. They do an amazing
(05:40):
job and they put themselves in the front line every
night they go out and do it and watch them
drunk people falling out of nightclubs. Some people have some
disgusting behaviors to answer for.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Well, So what exactly did really open your eyes because
I'm assuming that it's not just a disgusting behavior out
of nightclubs.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
I'm thinking that there's probably plenty more.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Yeah, listen, it was you had. We had people just
out lingering, roaming the streets for no purpose sort of.
That was a big concern for me because if you've
got nothing to do, you've got nowhere to stay, well,
then you're going to get into behaviors at a lester side,
which leads to crime. So we did, you know, as
unlawful entries, there wasn't as many. To be completely frank,
the city safe was the primary job they got too.
We got to go and see because there was a
(06:17):
lot of stuff happening on Mitchell Street with alcohol. It
was fairly quiet, as with a lot of DV that
was occurring. That was that was clear in Casarina went
to a road accident happened on Tiger Brennan, so it
was a busy night. But as they said, Mitchell Street
after dark, after that two am when they start to
see the lockouts happen. That was when it was really
starting to pick up. And you know, my Kudo's acknowledgement
and go to the city Safe guys and all the
gd patrol Group guys.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Now any like upon those those sort of drive a
longs and what you've seen, is there any proficiencies that
you can see from the you know that for the police,
things that you can do as the police minister to
try to.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Help them to make their jobs easier and more streamlined.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
Absolutely, I think there's some stuff we can look at.
And as I said to the guys in the grounds,
about regaining minutes for them. So some of them aren't
taking a lunch break. If I can find efficiencies that
gain them an hour two hours, that's a great efficiency.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
Give them a lunch break, go to more jobs.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
As an example, taking someone into custody, they may need
to get an authority authorization to take in a custody.
It may require a doctor. They're waiting too long at
the hospital. They need to get prioritized when they're in
there with a person in custody. They need to be
seen straight away. Obviously not taking away when an ambulance
comes in, but they need to be seen and moved
through so they're back on the road.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
Because sometimes that there was one crew who wasn't at
the muster room and they'd been.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
There for a couple of hours waiting to be seen,
and that's a car off the road because they got
someone in custody they want to take in custody, but
they need to get seen by a doctor, which obviously
debts and custody that they said that, which is perfectly fine,
but we need to be getting the back on the
road as fast as.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
So you've literally got a situation where you've got police officers,
like two police officers sitting at the hospital for a.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Couple of hours.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Depending on the workload of the hospital. Right, sometimes they'll
get any straight away. We all understand they've got to
nurse at the parts to watch house, but when they
get to that high risk category, they need a doctor.
So what I want to do is find efficiency that
when they come in, we're making every effort to get
them seen as fast as we can so they're back
on the road because we are chasing minutes. We're acing
minutes on their shift to go and do paperwork and
catch up with other other jobs that are outstanding.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
That was one of them.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
I think we need to be working better with territory families.
I think we need to have territory families on the road,
integrated with the police network. And what I mean by
that is there's a lot of preventive and I'm not
saying they're not doing it, but we can do it better.
I think that that became evident to me on the
ride alongs. So those are things I'll be looking at
work with the ministers and to be completely open, the
Minister for Territory Families is absolutely supported to working on this.
Speaker 4 (08:21):
She said it very clearly herself.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
So do you mean like when you're out, you know,
with territory families, because we talk a lot, like we've
you know, we've all spoken about this so much. You've
been here for discussions on the week that was about this,
where we go, well, hang on a set, there's actually
kids that are out on the streets at night.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Why are they out on the streets at night?
Speaker 1 (08:38):
But also the police in some instances, if they're not
doing anything wrong, do not have the power to do
anything with them.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
So where is Territory families at that point?
Speaker 3 (08:47):
So they get when they when police have take a
child into attention or custody depending on what they've done,
Territory families, depending on where they are, will get called
in to pick them up. I don't want there to
be a lag for police to hold on someone any longer.
Luck the hospital piece, get the person, hand the person off,
get back.
Speaker 4 (09:02):
On the road.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
You can police be hanging on to that person for inside.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
I think how long is the ball of string? It
depends on every individual event. You know, if it's a
busy night, I would assume so this is ours, but
I don't want it to be ours.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
I want to be minutes.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
So you know, those are things we're going to look
at with the Minister for Territory Families, and she said
the same thing to me. We can do better, let's
do it together. So we're laser focused on it between
me and her to get this fixed.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Well, because it does just seem like a waste of
police resources.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
I think that police and somes have to attend the job.
They have to go and make sure it's safe. But
then when they realize there's no crime being committed or
it's just a welfare issue, then it hands out of
territory families and police need to be chasing criminals and
dealing with crime and preventing crime.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Now you and I again have spoken quite a bit
about public drunkenness, that public drinking.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Is that something that you saw and experienced while you're
on those Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
They we've got an alcohol policing operation ongoing at the moment,
and the commissioners initiate that and it is working. You know,
some people may not notice it, but there is definitely less.
It is a decline in drinking and Darwin that will continue,
I believing through to Christmas. But we know if you're
tipping out, Grold, you're making it uncomfortable going to start
to see less dvs in the afternoon and the night.
She'd set it to us if people are doing if
we're getting on top of grog in the morning and afternoon,
(10:06):
their job becomes lighter in the afternoon and the evening,
which means they're going back to proactive policing and they're
getting ahead of the jobs well and truly before they
start at the moment, as I found on the nights,
if they're getting called to jobs back to back to back,
for example, they would rather be aut doing a random
RBT right here as an example.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
So we have not seen things like that for quite
some time.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
You know, it does seem as though the police resources
being tied up with other things, and that unfortunately they've
not been in a situation where they're able to do that.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Real proactive police.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
We're still doing RBTs. You've got the Road Policing Unit
based out of Partmason. There are in all our major
population centers. But I think what I was getting at
more so is that a GD car could just go, Hey,
we're waiting for a job, let's just pull over right now,
let's do some random breath testing. It's those little pieces
that I think we all remember pre COVID, and you know,
I know people don't like hearing it. We are still
feeling the repercussions of that. We're seeing a decline in
(10:53):
the attrition rate. We've gone from about ten point one
to nine point five. If we keep on that rate
and we keep recruiting like we're doing, we're going to
get a better resource outcome.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Now, alcohol legislation, it is going to be brought to
Parliament next sittings. The Chief Minister and said to us,
I believe that there is going to be some of
that legislation brought to Parliament next sittings. What do you
want to see or who do you want to meet
with to make sure I'm assuming the police to make
sure that they've got the tools that they need when
it comes to some of this alcohol, these alcohol issues,
(11:23):
to make sure that they've got the legislation that they need.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
I think Nathan said it on the radio yesterday. It
is a health response. I mean, police get called to
the jobs, and it is difficult to go to all
the jobs. So what I would like to see is
I do want to see us review the three year
liquor review outcomes.
Speaker 4 (11:37):
And what we can do around that.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Nathan will absolutely be involved with the NTPA, will absolutely
be involved in any changes, and I'm sure hospital nt
I mean it is the chief's portfolio. What I do
agree with though, is that we need to be able
to figure out who is drinking. And I saw that
on the first job I tended. It was actually in
pra Ap. It was a couple that had had their
grog tipped out, had a DBO, and so the cops
got the name out, figured out that a DBO and
(11:59):
that was the creme a behavior or that was the
breach of the DBO. So it wasn't physically the drinking,
but it was the association together and we're seeing a
lot of that and DVO. Sorry, DV is is our
biggest problem. It's a scourge on our society. So if
we can start to address that early, those are some
of the changes I'm looking at with the with the
with the chief.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
So we'll see where that lands. But that is obviously
hair port filling.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
It's really interesting though, that you know in that that
ride along, that that's something that you saw then for yourself, I've.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
Seen your parents live in my electure and said I
drive around a lot, used to drive around a lot
and see it and poured it all in.
Speaker 4 (12:30):
So it wasn't something that was foreign to me.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
But just to see how long when a DV incident
takes a crew off the road for another hour or
two hours, you know that's another car that's not on
the road. So we need to we need to be
fine in those minutes to get back those hours so
we can go to more jobs.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
For the territories.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Now, look, before I let you go the daily region,
it's it's been going through some some difficult times. Daily
River community or at the surrounds going through some really
difficult times. At the moment, I understand the school had
been closed due to unrest.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Where are things at so the moment I've been told
there's been two days of calm. We've definitely got more
officers than them. We've got officers from Catherine, from Darwin,
I think Major Crimes and Serious Crimes Unit, and we've
had more gds down there.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
They've made a bunch of arrest I think I believe
the numbers eight.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
There's ten offenders they identified, So you've got five adults,
three youth, one outstanding and one was underage.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
And we saw a bunch of houses destroyed in that.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
But I'm told there's enough short term accommodation in the
area for those people to be relocated.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
It does sound as so.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
You know, you've got different members of the community sort
of at war at ords with each other. What work's
being done with the elders to try and sort that out.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
So Chief Men's Department brings a whole of guvernment agency
approach to it. I believe they've done one community meeting already.
They're lined up to do another one when the elders
are ready to do so. I think you're nailed it, absolutely, Katie.
It's got to do with two different groups in that
region we are putting it. We've committed to a new
police station in Peppe to see that fully manned. So
you know, these are issues that we all know who
they are. Don't want to give a name because they
(13:53):
don't to publicize what they do. But all those offenders
were male, all of those were from a particular community,
and the local member down there's been very much engage
in trying to mediate that and get police resource. So
credit to Duran, but I think it's something that again,
when police are going to it, it's reactionary. It should
always be the prevention beforehand, and I think that's where
Territory Family is in chief Men's Department are actively involved.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
All right, Brent, before we let you go this morning, mate,
one of our listeners has nicknamed you the Flash. Are
you prepared to take on that nickname and work as
quickly as possible to try and sort some of these
issues out.
Speaker 4 (14:27):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (14:27):
Absolutely, I'll take the Flash any day because I would
hate to see some of the other names that get
thrown at me on social media.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
So we'll keep the Flash.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
But I can tell you I wasn't fast enough at
the PT with the recruits on Tuesday. They absolutely smashed me,
so that'd be fit they were fit and your criminal
running away from.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Them, so that's exactly right.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Well Brent Potter, the Minister for Veterans Affairs, Police, Fire
and Emergency Services and let's hope the Flash good.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
To catch up with you this morning. Thank you, Jo.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
Thanks
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.