Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
But we know that an inquest into the death of
a much loved and respected Northern Territory Police officer has
laid bare the intense pressure facing remote Police officers, with
accusations that the agency has failed in its workplace safety obligations,
leaving officers fatigued, under resource and exposed to serious trauma.
(00:21):
Constable Michael Mickey d Dutram took his life, as we know,
in April twenty twenty two, three months after taking personal
leave from his posting in Kintour. The inquest began last
week and had heard that Constable Dutram had been diagnosed
with post traumatic stress disorder after more than two decades
in the force and told his superiors he was burnt
(00:44):
out after nine months at that remote posting. Now joining
us in the studio as a Northern Territory Police Association
President Nathan Finn, Good morning to you, Finny.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Good morning, Katy, Good morning to you.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Listen, Finny, you've obviously been following the inquest, You've been
in there all of last week. I mean, what can
you sort of tell us following those days.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Very tough time and very much very hard on the
family and obviously members that have dialed in and been
in the court room as well. Very tough times. We've
got to remember that it's okay not to be okay,
and at times we've seen that across last week with
this coronial and producing some evidence that it's not really
up to the standard that we see in the Northern
(01:26):
Territory Police Force Management Team have got some serious questions
to answer in respect to this, but also shows and
highlights the issues we have within our police force, especially
around the resource allocation and especially in our remote communities.
And this has brought highlight in this coronial evidence that's
been put forward last week. But again very tough time
(01:47):
and a time to remember the sacrifices which our members
make on a daily basis and to ensure that we
learn from these mistakes. It's not about the finger pointing.
It's not about but our members want answers. Our members
want to know what can be done better, how we
can look after our members better and make sure that
we're adlocate resourced to do the job that we need
(02:08):
to do, but also provide that support to our members
that suffer this cumultive trauma that we have across long
periods of careers.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
So can you tell us about some of the allegations
facing the force in regards to work and safety obligations.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah, so across the remote areas, we've heard members being
isolated in remote communities for up to thirty five days.
Was the evidence that was presented, Katie. I'd love to
say that this happened years ago. It's still happening as
of last week. Our members are contacting us last week
confirming that this is still a matter of contentious right
across our remote stations, we're still seeing members left by
(02:46):
themselves in remote communities, left to respond to serious incidents
alone in remote communities. And this has been highlighted by
the assaults we've seen on the weekend again in one
way where they're potentially ambushed as they come out of
the police station, bars thrown through windscreens of police vehicles
and everything.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Well, this is the thing, Finny. You know, what the
police are facing in some of these remote communities is unbelievable.
I mean, police say they're working with the elders in
whatever after being targeted by that group of about thirty
people armed with bows, arrows lovers.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
This is a generalized response, cadding. We see this time
and time again, we're working with the elders. Unfortunately, if
the elders were doing what they were supposed to do
and have that control of that community, we wouldn't be
dealing with these offenders to start with. We'd have the
respect back for the police in those communities. The fact is,
if they don't they want to treat us with the
contempt that they treat us with, they'll have no police
there because no one will want to go there county
to look after them.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
And you know, you go to yourself. Like the officers
were responding to a disturbance outside a childcare center on
Friday afternoon, like that's horrifying. It's alleged two men through
things at the police car, one piercing the windscreen and
the other lodging into the bonnet. Officers there returning to
(04:01):
the station and the group allegedly started writing outside. I mean,
how are those officers now going in?
Speaker 2 (04:06):
What we try to make contact over the weekend with
the station as well, and quite rightfully so, they be
traumatized by this. They see this time and time again,
they see that they're being targeted time and time again,
and this coronial is actually looking at that. How this
sort of behavior is towards our police. How that cumulative
damage that they go on with their careers and how
(04:27):
that plays out on their own mental health. They make
enormous sacrifices to serve the community. And there'll be people
out there to say that they get paid lots of money.
Well they don't. You don't get paid enough when your
life's on the line nearly every day you pull on
that uniform and trying to do the right thing by
the communities. In these communities that are dysfunctional, Katie, you
see it in your face here in Darwin. You try
(04:49):
living on one of these remote communities, the damage that
it causes to members being on call. When the department
says they're not on call, Well they are, Katie, They're
on call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
We absolutely, I mean, both my parents lived have lived
in remote communities. My dad's passed away, but you know,
my mum still lives out in a remote community, you know,
and they've lived in whatever they've lived in, man and Greeta.
Some of them function beautifully, you know, like a little town.
Others there's some serious issues and you spot on. You
don't go off call. I would imagine for the police
(05:19):
see getting phone calls at any hour of the day
and night because you know, the community then needs them,
relies on them, wants them. But that has a huge
toll on people.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
So when their assistant commissioner gives evidence at a coronial inquest,
it's not accurate to what's actually happening on the ground.
Our members get quite frustrated. We're overwhelmed with calls, especially
from our remote colleagues out in remote area saying well,
that's not actually how what's happening?
Speaker 1 (05:42):
So what had been set?
Speaker 2 (05:44):
They're saying that there's risk assessments done in relationship to
that they're being called out there. Fatigue management's being managed, Katie,
it's not. I had a member contact me that had
done twenty seven hours overtime in two days and then
expected to carry another police district for the following night.
That's not acceptable and the burnout fact is huge remote
areas and the pressure that they've been placed under with
no resources or ability to respond to incidents. It highlights
(06:07):
the dangers that our members have face.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
And Finny, what's that inquest heard in regards to post
traumatic stress disorder as well and support for officers a
lot of.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
That stuff, the support for officers. There was evidence presented
that they still haven't got the capacity to actually conduct
the well being services and make sure the health and
wellbeing of our members are being there and the checks
aren't being conducted. They're under resource. We heard that evidence
being presented and they haven't done anything about it since
in the three years since Michael had sadly passed away.
(06:37):
We live on that event still lives on with myself
personally having worked with his brother Tony quite closely there
at Palmerston for six years together. Yeah, we're representing the family,
the NTPA representing the family legally in this matter, and
also the NTPA as well. We've had the family here.
It's heartbreaking, Katie that they haven't seen the light. They've
(06:57):
had an opportunity to fix it. It hasn't been fed.
The system's still broken. Our members aren't getting the health
and well being support that they need.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Finny, I mean my understanding, and you've already spoken about this,
you know in terms of the resourcing. We know that
Constable Doutrum want well, he had that kin tour posting
and there was frustrations about a lack of resources in
the force and extra pressures associated with the coronavirus pandemic.
(07:27):
A lack of resourcing is something that you and I
talk about on this show all the time. I mean,
how lock where are things out when you look at
our resourcing, Because even when we talk about the issues
in Catherine right in recent weeks and people calling for
palis on those bottle shops, I think the police would
like to be able to have palis operating and being
(07:47):
you know, here, there and everywhere. But the worry is,
or the fact is, we just don't have the numbers
to do it.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
And as you talk about the PALI positions, I'm one
totally against it that the polic shouldn't be doing it,
and lick A licensing spectors and that sort of stuff
should be doing. Regardless of that, it has an impact
on what we deal with in the community. So it
has got its place definitely, but I don't think it's
believed for police. But putting back into reality of the
remote policing location, I believe there was up to twenty
six vacancies that we had in our remote areas as
(08:13):
of two weeks ago, Katie, that we're advertised we're seeing
huge numbers regardless of the commitment that had been made
previously at all our bush stations were going to be
made three person stations because of the workload some years ago.
That still hasn't occurred, and there's a number of reasons
why that, such as adequate housing available again to get
that work life balance which our members are craving. They
(08:35):
need those extra resource in our remote areas. They are
really struggling out there. And it's not saying that our
guys in town aren't struggling and they want to be there. Again,
there's different opportunities for those guys and they're under a
lot of pressure as well, and especially an investigative section
because crimes through the roof. We're responding to more jobs
than ever we have been with a police force that's
under resource, Katie. And when you tail that with a
(08:58):
morale that's low because of a wage off it's been given,
it's unfortunately, it's going to be a perfect storm for
this government if they don't do something about it.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Finny. In terms of the inquest, it was set to
run for five days. Where are things at now?
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Yeah, so we were meant to run for five days, Katie.
We had an adjournment as of Thursday afternoon last week,
after we had the institutional response and got to question
that and heard the evidence presented, we're looking at coming
back on the first of August to get some professional
evidence provided in relation to mental health side of things
and reports and to review that, and then the following
fortnit as well on the twelfth and thirteenth of August
(09:32):
as well. It's due to be scheduled and then at
a time there will be obviously submissions from both sides
and a review of all the information and recommendations.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Does that drag the process out? I mean, does it?
And does it make it hard on the family and
on all of you involved?
Speaker 2 (09:46):
It does, And before last week we're a highlighter that
the police weren't ready to obviously commence that coronial process
and they wanted to place it off and we're very
much considered. We don't want to do this at hoc.
We don't want a piecemeal approach. We want to make
sure that done appropriately. We're given the time to review
all the events available, the evidence is presented in that
coronial factor. We know what the issues are. We just
(10:08):
need to hear the coroner needs to hear what the
issues are and what the impact is that having on
our members, because in reality, that's where our members are
struggling with and they struggle with it day in, day out,
and more emphasized in our remote areas when it's so
under resourced and got staff moving between stations. We've got
staff relieving from one remote station to another remote station,
(10:28):
leaving families behind in one remote station to go and
work at another one. It's any wonder we're struggling to
get our members out remote Katie and that's our high
risk area. We're seeing that well.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
And all the while, then we're still talking about all
the issues that are occurring in our major town centers.
You know, we're seeing flare ups and the likes of
Alice Springs and the likes of Catherine even here in
the top end in Darwin, in Nightcliff for example. So
you know, it's a juggle. It sounds like it's a
massive juggle. How many extra police do we need, Finny,
(10:59):
We're where our police numbers at.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
So those numbers, we've currently got around seventeen hundred and
sixty eight I believe members in the Northern Territory Police Force.
That's slightly up from where we were when we had
the two hundred announced. Again, we're seeing attrition very much
the members. We're hoping for this retention payment, everything else
their goods, consent agreement negotiation with this government and they're
(11:22):
making decisions to move. At this point in time, a
lot of members are contacting us say we can't keep
waiting for this, Katie, we can't keep waiting for a
big pay deal from this government. We're looking at going
into state. Our membership and our police are well respected
right across Australia within the volume of work we do,
the understanding of exposure we have to a lot of
(11:42):
stuff in policing, so they're very valuable to other jurisdictions
right across Australia.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
So how pivotal is it that this pay negotiation gets
sorted out sooner rather than later.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
It's very important to our members, Katy, and we're pushing
for that. We have our meeting, We've got another meeting
schedule for tomorrow. At this point in time. Again, my
meetings with the Chief Minister, that's probably the first time
I've seen her for a little while. Between meeting. She
canceled all my meetings with her. As we're going through
this consentergroup. She doesn't want to speak to me about
the consent agreement negotiations. Again, we want to be back
(12:15):
at that table to have this relationship so we can
improve the conditions. And also legislation to support our police
is vitally important. But we need to get this pay
deal done sooner rather than later because our members are
going to leave in droves.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Finny, Just a really quick one in terms of what's
going on in Catherine at the moment. The Mayor, Liz
Clark has called for a review into the opening hours
of takeaway liquor outlets. Would that help the police in
any way?
Speaker 2 (12:40):
Reducing alcohol consumption and reducing the availability of alcohol has
a huge effect on our policing and a huge effect
on our policing response. But unfortunately we're seeing a Catherine
Police station that's very much under resourced and has been
for some time. They are trying to pull their resource
into appropriate areas to target. Again, they have only got
a search capacity for a short period of time before
they have to revert back to their normal operations, and
(13:02):
that takes away from people from their nominal roles that
we're doing their norminal roles and put further pressure back
on them when they return to their normal roles. So
again it's not sustainable. Again short short time, But unfortunately
Catherine needs resources and they're trying to provide that attention
to highlight that our member struggle down there daily. And
they haven't got the remote staff to relieve out at
(13:24):
remote stations from Catherine, which they normally do as well,
which is hampering those the remote areas as well across
the Timber Creek area of VRD across those areas.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
All right, we've got to get this issue sorted. I mean,
in terms of the pay negotiation. I know that some
people out there listening might be going, hey, we'll fore
our police already get paid a lot of money. I
get that, but we need to get this sort of
we need the number of police to deal with the
issues that we're experiencing across the Northern Territory right now.
And again I know can't always fall at the hands
(13:54):
of the police, but at the moment it bloody will
seems to.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
As I always say, Katie, to those people that think
we get paid too much to put our shoes on
for a day and come out and experience what we
deal with and the especially the remote areas and investigative sections.
They're all overworked, definitely. They are struggling on a day
to day basis. We're making sure that we want to
support them and going forward and what we have to
deal with and that's where my support is.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
President of the Police Association here in the Northern Territory
Nathan Finn. Always good to catch up with you.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Thank you, Thank you, Katie and everyone out there, the
men and women in blue that choose to pull on
the uniform every day. We say thank you and we're
here to support you and make sure we get that
fear deal for you guys.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Thank you, Thanks Finny. We'll catch up again soon.
But we know that an inquest into the death of
a much loved and respected Northern Territory Police officer has
laid bare the intense pressure facing remote Police officers, with
accusations that the agency has failed in its workplace safety obligations,
leaving officers fatigued, under resource and exposed to serious trauma.
(00:21):
Constable Michael Mickey d Dutram took his life, as we know,
in April twenty twenty two, three months after taking personal
leave from his posting in Kintour. The inquest began last
week and had heard that Constable Dutram had been diagnosed
with post traumatic stress disorder after more than two decades
in the force and told his superiors he was burnt
(00:44):
out after nine months at that remote posting. Now joining
us in the studio as a Northern Territory Police Association
President Nathan Finn, Good morning to you, Finny.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Good morning, Katy, Good morning to you.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Listen, Finny, you've obviously been following the inquest, You've been
in there all of last week. I mean, what can
you sort of tell us following those days.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Very tough time and very much very hard on the
family and obviously members that have dialed in and been
in the court room as well. Very tough times. We've
got to remember that it's okay not to be okay,
and at times we've seen that across last week with
this coronial and producing some evidence that it's not really
up to the standard that we see in the Northern
(01:26):
Territory Police Force Management Team have got some serious questions
to answer in respect to this, but also shows and
highlights the issues we have within our police force, especially
around the resource allocation and especially in our remote communities.
And this has brought highlight in this coronial evidence that's
been put forward last week. But again very tough time
(01:47):
and a time to remember the sacrifices which our members
make on a daily basis and to ensure that we
learn from these mistakes. It's not about the finger pointing.
It's not about but our members want answers. Our members
want to know what can be done better, how we
can look after our members better and make sure that
we're adlocate resourced to do the job that we need
(02:08):
to do, but also provide that support to our members
that suffer this cumultive trauma that we have across long
periods of careers.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
So can you tell us about some of the allegations
facing the force in regards to work and safety obligations.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah, so across the remote areas, we've heard members being
isolated in remote communities for up to thirty five days.
Was the evidence that was presented, Katie. I'd love to
say that this happened years ago. It's still happening as
of last week. Our members are contacting us last week
confirming that this is still a matter of contentious right
across our remote stations, we're still seeing members left by
(02:46):
themselves in remote communities, left to respond to serious incidents
alone in remote communities. And this has been highlighted by
the assaults we've seen on the weekend again in one
way where they're potentially ambushed as they come out of
the police station, bars thrown through windscreens of police vehicles
and everything.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Well, this is the thing, Finny. You know, what the
police are facing in some of these remote communities is unbelievable.
I mean, police say they're working with the elders in
whatever after being targeted by that group of about thirty
people armed with bows, arrows lovers.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
This is a generalized response, cadding. We see this time
and time again, we're working with the elders. Unfortunately, if
the elders were doing what they were supposed to do
and have that control of that community, we wouldn't be
dealing with these offenders to start with. We'd have the
respect back for the police in those communities. The fact is,
if they don't they want to treat us with the
contempt that they treat us with, they'll have no police
there because no one will want to go there county
to look after them.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
And you know, you go to yourself. Like the officers
were responding to a disturbance outside a childcare center on
Friday afternoon, like that's horrifying. It's alleged two men through
things at the police car, one piercing the windscreen and
the other lodging into the bonnet. Officers there returning to
(04:01):
the station and the group allegedly started writing outside. I mean,
how are those officers now going in?
Speaker 2 (04:06):
What we try to make contact over the weekend with
the station as well, and quite rightfully so, they be
traumatized by this. They see this time and time again,
they see that they're being targeted time and time again,
and this coronial is actually looking at that. How this
sort of behavior is towards our police. How that cumulative
damage that they go on with their careers and how
(04:27):
that plays out on their own mental health. They make
enormous sacrifices to serve the community. And there'll be people
out there to say that they get paid lots of money.
Well they don't. You don't get paid enough when your
life's on the line nearly every day you pull on
that uniform and trying to do the right thing by
the communities. In these communities that are dysfunctional, Katie, you
see it in your face here in Darwin. You try
(04:49):
living on one of these remote communities, the damage that
it causes to members being on call. When the department
says they're not on call, Well they are, Katie, They're
on call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
We absolutely, I mean, both my parents lived have lived
in remote communities. My dad's passed away, but you know,
my mum still lives out in a remote community, you know,
and they've lived in whatever they've lived in, man and Greeta.
Some of them function beautifully, you know, like a little town.
Others there's some serious issues and you spot on. You
don't go off call. I would imagine for the police
(05:19):
see getting phone calls at any hour of the day
and night because you know, the community then needs them,
relies on them, wants them. But that has a huge
toll on people.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
So when their assistant commissioner gives evidence at a coronial inquest,
it's not accurate to what's actually happening on the ground.
Our members get quite frustrated. We're overwhelmed with calls, especially
from our remote colleagues out in remote area saying well,
that's not actually how what's happening?
Speaker 1 (05:42):
So what had been set?
Speaker 2 (05:44):
They're saying that there's risk assessments done in relationship to
that they're being called out there. Fatigue management's being managed, Katie,
it's not. I had a member contact me that had
done twenty seven hours overtime in two days and then
expected to carry another police district for the following night.
That's not acceptable and the burnout fact is huge remote
areas and the pressure that they've been placed under with
no resources or ability to respond to incidents. It highlights
(06:07):
the dangers that our members have face.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
And Finny, what's that inquest heard in regards to post
traumatic stress disorder as well and support for officers a
lot of.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
That stuff, the support for officers. There was evidence presented
that they still haven't got the capacity to actually conduct
the well being services and make sure the health and
wellbeing of our members are being there and the checks
aren't being conducted. They're under resource. We heard that evidence
being presented and they haven't done anything about it since
in the three years since Michael had sadly passed away.
(06:37):
We live on that event still lives on with myself
personally having worked with his brother Tony quite closely there
at Palmerston for six years together. Yeah, we're representing the family,
the NTPA representing the family legally in this matter, and
also the NTPA as well. We've had the family here.
It's heartbreaking, Katie that they haven't seen the light. They've
(06:57):
had an opportunity to fix it. It hasn't been fed.
The system's still broken. Our members aren't getting the health
and well being support that they need.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Finny, I mean my understanding, and you've already spoken about this,
you know in terms of the resourcing. We know that
Constable Doutrum want well, he had that kin tour posting
and there was frustrations about a lack of resources in
the force and extra pressures associated with the coronavirus pandemic.
(07:27):
A lack of resourcing is something that you and I
talk about on this show all the time. I mean,
how lock where are things out when you look at
our resourcing, Because even when we talk about the issues
in Catherine right in recent weeks and people calling for
palis on those bottle shops, I think the police would
like to be able to have palis operating and being
(07:47):
you know, here, there and everywhere. But the worry is,
or the fact is, we just don't have the numbers
to do it.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
And as you talk about the PALI positions, I'm one
totally against it that the polic shouldn't be doing it,
and lick A licensing spectors and that sort of stuff
should be doing. Regardless of that, it has an impact
on what we deal with in the community. So it
has got its place definitely, but I don't think it's
believed for police. But putting back into reality of the
remote policing location, I believe there was up to twenty
six vacancies that we had in our remote areas as
(08:13):
of two weeks ago, Katie, that we're advertised we're seeing
huge numbers regardless of the commitment that had been made
previously at all our bush stations were going to be
made three person stations because of the workload some years ago.
That still hasn't occurred, and there's a number of reasons
why that, such as adequate housing available again to get
that work life balance which our members are craving. They
(08:35):
need those extra resource in our remote areas. They are
really struggling out there. And it's not saying that our
guys in town aren't struggling and they want to be there. Again,
there's different opportunities for those guys and they're under a
lot of pressure as well, and especially an investigative section
because crimes through the roof. We're responding to more jobs
than ever we have been with a police force that's
under resource, Katie. And when you tail that with a
(08:58):
morale that's low because of a wage off it's been given,
it's unfortunately, it's going to be a perfect storm for
this government if they don't do something about it.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Finny. In terms of the inquest, it was set to
run for five days. Where are things at now?
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Yeah, so we were meant to run for five days, Katie.
We had an adjournment as of Thursday afternoon last week,
after we had the institutional response and got to question
that and heard the evidence presented, we're looking at coming
back on the first of August to get some professional
evidence provided in relation to mental health side of things
and reports and to review that, and then the following
fortnit as well on the twelfth and thirteenth of August
(09:32):
as well. It's due to be scheduled and then at
a time there will be obviously submissions from both sides
and a review of all the information and recommendations.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Does that drag the process out? I mean, does it?
And does it make it hard on the family and
on all of you involved?
Speaker 2 (09:46):
It does, And before last week we're a highlighter that
the police weren't ready to obviously commence that coronial process
and they wanted to place it off and we're very
much considered. We don't want to do this at hoc.
We don't want a piecemeal approach. We want to make
sure that done appropriately. We're given the time to review
all the events available, the evidence is presented in that
coronial factor. We know what the issues are. We just
(10:08):
need to hear the coroner needs to hear what the
issues are and what the impact is that having on
our members, because in reality, that's where our members are
struggling with and they struggle with it day in, day out,
and more emphasized in our remote areas when it's so
under resourced and got staff moving between stations. We've got
staff relieving from one remote station to another remote station,
(10:28):
leaving families behind in one remote station to go and
work at another one. It's any wonder we're struggling to
get our members out remote Katie and that's our high
risk area. We're seeing that well.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
And all the while, then we're still talking about all
the issues that are occurring in our major town centers.
You know, we're seeing flare ups and the likes of
Alice Springs and the likes of Catherine even here in
the top end in Darwin, in Nightcliff for example. So
you know, it's a juggle. It sounds like it's a
massive juggle. How many extra police do we need, Finny,
(10:59):
We're where our police numbers at.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
So those numbers, we've currently got around seventeen hundred and
sixty eight I believe members in the Northern Territory Police Force.
That's slightly up from where we were when we had
the two hundred announced. Again, we're seeing attrition very much
the members. We're hoping for this retention payment, everything else
their goods, consent agreement negotiation with this government and they're
(11:22):
making decisions to move. At this point in time, a
lot of members are contacting us say we can't keep
waiting for this, Katie, we can't keep waiting for a
big pay deal from this government. We're looking at going
into state. Our membership and our police are well respected
right across Australia within the volume of work we do,
the understanding of exposure we have to a lot of
(11:42):
stuff in policing, so they're very valuable to other jurisdictions
right across Australia.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
So how pivotal is it that this pay negotiation gets
sorted out sooner rather than later.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
It's very important to our members, Katy, and we're pushing
for that. We have our meeting, We've got another meeting
schedule for tomorrow. At this point in time. Again, my
meetings with the Chief Minister, that's probably the first time
I've seen her for a little while. Between meeting. She
canceled all my meetings with her. As we're going through
this consentergroup. She doesn't want to speak to me about
the consent agreement negotiations. Again, we want to be back
(12:15):
at that table to have this relationship so we can
improve the conditions. And also legislation to support our police
is vitally important. But we need to get this pay
deal done sooner rather than later because our members are
going to leave in droves.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Finny, Just a really quick one in terms of what's
going on in Catherine at the moment. The Mayor, Liz
Clark has called for a review into the opening hours
of takeaway liquor outlets. Would that help the police in
any way?
Speaker 2 (12:40):
Reducing alcohol consumption and reducing the availability of alcohol has
a huge effect on our policing and a huge effect
on our policing response. But unfortunately we're seeing a Catherine
Police station that's very much under resourced and has been
for some time. They are trying to pull their resource
into appropriate areas to target. Again, they have only got
a search capacity for a short period of time before
they have to revert back to their normal operations, and
(13:02):
that takes away from people from their nominal roles that
we're doing their norminal roles and put further pressure back
on them when they return to their normal roles. So
again it's not sustainable. Again short short time, But unfortunately
Catherine needs resources and they're trying to provide that attention
to highlight that our member struggle down there daily. And
they haven't got the remote staff to relieve out at
(13:24):
remote stations from Catherine, which they normally do as well,
which is hampering those the remote areas as well across
the Timber Creek area of VRD across those areas.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
All right, we've got to get this issue sorted. I mean,
in terms of the pay negotiation. I know that some
people out there listening might be going, hey, we'll fore
our police already get paid a lot of money. I
get that, but we need to get this sort of
we need the number of police to deal with the
issues that we're experiencing across the Northern Territory right now.
And again I know can't always fall at the hands
(13:54):
of the police, but at the moment it bloody will
seems to.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
As I always say, Katie, to those people that think
we get paid too much to put our shoes on
for a day and come out and experience what we
deal with and the especially the remote areas and investigative sections.
They're all overworked, definitely. They are struggling on a day
to day basis. We're making sure that we want to
support them and going forward and what we have to
deal with and that's where my support is.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
President of the Police Association here in the Northern Territory
Nathan Finn. Always good to catch up with you.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Thank you, Thank you, Katie and everyone out there, the
men and women in blue that choose to pull on
the uniform every day. We say thank you and we're
here to support you and make sure we get that
fear deal for you guys.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Thank you, Thanks Finny. We'll catch up again soon.
Popular Podcasts
True Crime Tonight
If you eat, sleep, and breathe true crime, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT is serving up your nightly fix. Five nights a week, KT STUDIOS & iHEART RADIO invite listeners to pull up a seat for an unfiltered look at the biggest cases making headlines, celebrity scandals, and the trials everyone is watching. With a mix of expert analysis, hot takes, and listener call-ins, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT goes beyond the headlines to uncover the twists, turns, and unanswered questions that keep us all obsessed—because, at TRUE CRIME TONIGHT, there’s a seat for everyone. Whether breaking down crime scene forensics, scrutinizing serial killers, or debating the most binge-worthy true crime docs, True Crime Tonight is the fresh, fast-paced, and slightly addictive home for true crime lovers.
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
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.