Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Palmerston Watchhouse has once again reached a crisis point
and is overflowing with prisoners. That's according to the Northern
Territory Police Association. The union says there were ninety two
detainees in custody yesterday, including seventy six corrections prisoners who
were no longer supposed to be there. The president, Nathan Finn,
(00:20):
says the situation is putting police officers and prisoners at
an unacceptable risk. He joins me in the studio, good morning, Finny.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Good morning, Katy, Good morning to your listeners.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Now, Finny, ninety two people all up at the Palmeston Watchhouse.
What's the maximum capacity there?
Speaker 2 (00:36):
The maxim capacity is determined obviously based on a number
of factors, Katie, pretending on what the people are in
custody for the offenses, the violence obviously, the tendency for
violence towards other prisoners excepter. So it's hard to say
what the actual capacity is going on from that media
release that we submitted yesterday and what we're speaking about today,
I know that I got an update last this morning
in relation to Hammony and Cassy. We had excess of
(00:58):
one hundred in custody.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Last night, So more than one hundred in custody.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
In Palmerston last night, yeah, which is again, let's strict
contradiction to what obviously the COLP said they're going to
move Corrections prisoners from our watchouses. This is still occurring,
the pressure is still being placed on our custody facilities
and this is also indicating obviously having greater effects on
our obviously frontline capability.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
So so as of this morning, more than one hundred
people in the Palmeston watchhouse. In terms of staffing. Who's
staffing at the police or have you got Corrections staff
in there?
Speaker 2 (01:28):
No, we used to have Corrections and when the announcement
was made that Corrections are going to move out of
our watchhouses, they move their staff out and they left
us to manage these prisoners. We've seen this in excess
of This is not new, Cady. This has been going
on for months and our members are quite frighttily sick
of it and waiting for a death and custody to
occur because of it.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
So they're seriously worried that that's going to be what happens.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
They are very concerned, Catie, and and quite rightfully so,
like the conditions are inhumane to be people held for
days at a time in a cell where they can't move.
They can move around, and I know people and I
don't have any sympathy for people at commit defenses either,
but again it's placing our staff at risk because of
the pressures that being placed there.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Phinny, can you talk us through what those conditions are?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
The conditions are Some of the cells are holding up
to fourteen to sixteen people in a cell, which is
roughly about for four point five meters by four point
five meters square, for them to sleep, for them to
step over each other, it's like playing tetris with people
in a cell. To make that remove and make that obviously,
if something happens in that cell and our staff are
required to enter that cell, they're severely outnumbered.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
So Phinny, I just want to make this really clear
in my head because I know a lot of people
listening this morning, they'll be thinking to themselves, well, you
know what will fee if someone breaks the law? They
deserve to go into the watchhouse.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
And we fully agree with that as well.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
But the problem here is that we're talking about too
many people being housed in that watchhouse. How many of
them apologies if you already said this, but how many
of them are actually corrections prisoners?
Speaker 2 (02:57):
So overnight we had seventy five corrections prisoners on tip
of our prisoners as well.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
But there's no correction staff.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
So unfortunately the Northern Territory Police staff are looking after
the corrections prisoners as well, and that obviously leads to
greater we need to transport them to court. So I've
got thirty one to go to court this morning, which
takes equivalent to five police vehicles off the road for
an extended period.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
So the police are then taking them to court.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
I thought that was what we got those contractors for
the you know the you know how with corrections we
got the contractors.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Katie, police are the ones that are conveying them to
court from the Parmestan watchaus into the day and courts.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
So how many cars do you think are off the road?
Then as a result, at least five cars will be
off the road because they're transporting the prisoners to Is
it not the.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Poictest job, Katie. Our members are quite frustrated in doing that. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
I was going to say, is it usual practice that
the Northern Territory Police if you've got prisoners in the
watchhouse that you would transport them to court.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
If we have prisoners ourselves, if we have prisons from
overnight they're required to go to court, we convey them prisoners,
not just not our prisoners and the Corrections prisoners as well.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
But at the moment this.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Morning is that we had thirty one to go to
court this morning out of that in excess of one hundred.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
So, Finny, you are seriously concerned about the safety of
police officers.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
You feel as though they're outnumbered, definitely.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
And definitely in our facility we've got sometimes we've seen
three members of our staff looking after that many prisoners.
If something happens within that side of their affility facility,
our members are placed at risk and it's an unacceptable risk.
If something does actually kick off in there, they haven't
got the ability to respond to that.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Would it be acceptable in your eyes if Corrections were
providing staff again, Corrections should.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Be fighting stuff, they should be riding. Obviously, the safe
secure of these prisoners in their facilities, that's what we've
been asking for. We haven't got the capacity or obviously
the staff to deal with this, and it's obviously having
an effect on our front line ability to conduct policing.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Finny, in terms of you know, like some of the
ins and outs of this, I guess, and some of
the impacts then on daily operations for the Northern Territory Police.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
I mean, you just touched on.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
The fact that there's going to be vehicles that are
out of action. Then in terms of being able to
respond to crime, our officers then being pulled away from
the front line to manage and maintain safety within the watchhouse.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Definitely, Katie. And that's the biggest issue we're seeing. That's
the biggest frustration we're seeing that we're relying on overtime
to obviously staff these facilities, the custody facilities with these
extra people in there, and sometimes that's our members have
burned out. That members are exhausted. We've seen that over
many months and many years, Skatie. We just can't keep
up with the demand of what's being placed upon the
Northern Churchy Police for their resourcing.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
So you're saying at the moment police are being taken
away from their general patrolling duties to go and help
out at the watchouse.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
That is correct, Katie, and that's where our members are frustrated.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
How many do you reckon would be taken to do
this day?
Speaker 2 (05:50):
It's each day. It's a number of people each day, Katie,
that have to go into the watchhouse to obviously look
after those.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Prisoners, like five of them, two of them.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
I'd have to obviously confirm obviously to a number of people.
But the pressures are being placed on their staff inside
of the custom facilities are seeing them not being able
to cope.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Finny, what is your message for the government this morning.
I mean, you and I have spoken on so many
occasions about this very issue, and it doesn't seem to
be getting better, I know. And it's a juggle in
the sense that I know people listening will be going well.
We expect people to be put in the watchhouse if
they break the law and if they are dangerous, and
then appear in court.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
But it is a real juggle at the moment.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
It definitely is a real juggle, Coady. And we're seeing
it does fluctuate in the number of people committing offenses,
and we've seen our offenses coming down, but we're still
seeing a higher number of prisoners in our watchhouses and
that's not acceptable, Codie. To our staff it's impacting our
ability to conduct policing operations, our policing resources to be
placed on the road to respond to members of the community.
(06:49):
We're seeing this real impact and the stress and fatigue
that have been placed on our custody staff within their
facilities is enormous and it's a genuine health and safety
risk to our members and we are over that again.
If you break the law, I expect you to be
in custody and don't hesitate to have had the conversation.
I'm more worried about my police and my police officers
that are using these facilities.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
So what is your message to the government.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
The message to the government is they need to have
a plan. They need to have a correction splan. We've
seen it, announcements being made that they've got a blue
prian going forward about how we're going to live. When
is the announcement about a new correctional facility because we're
seeing the current ones that can't keep up a capacity.
What is happening. We've been hurt quiet nothing for months
now in relation to what is happening. We need a
new jail, we need a bigger capacity to hold these people.
(07:36):
And Police watch House is not.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
That, Finny. There might be some people listening this morning
concerned that we might see a situation where the police
don't take somebody to the watch house, or don't respond
to a crime, or don't arrest somebody because there is
no room at the watch house. Do you have any
worry that the police will do that.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Katie Bowl reports members are already doing that. Fortunately, we're
a nearly capacity last night. Again, we have limited ability
to take people into protective custody into the watchhouse environment
because we haven't got the room to do that. So
potentially people are remaining on the street, potentially committing offenses
and not going out to watchesse.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
So you are saying that there could be situations right
now where people are committing crimes and not going to
the watchhouse because there's no room.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Definitely, Cati and that's where our members are reporting. Wow,
And that's where I'm at crisis, my staff for at crisis.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Our police officers don't come here to walk past things,
and they want to put people behind bars that deserve
to be behind bars. And unfortunately the current situation is
limiting that a bit.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Finny, just before I let you go, I understand the
government's police retention bonus is being rolled out to officers.
What's been the reaction from members?
Speaker 2 (08:45):
This is disgusting, Katie. This has actually pissed members off,
and quite rightfully so it's discriminative. Again. The announcement that
was the broadcast was put out by the Northern Churchy
Police Force again yesterday. I've had discussions with the government
regarding this retention bonus and I lobbied for it before
a pre election last year. To the Chief Minister who
agreed to it, we told them that the current obviously
(09:07):
commitment was going to be devisive and devise our police force. Currently,
we're seeing that any member that the lottery, that any
member receives an anniversary on this year gets paid a bonus.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
So is there five years, ten.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Years, so ten fifteen, twenty twenty five, they receive a
bonus if we went to that being tenzery for ten
ten years, So the same person that's started eleven years
this year gets nothing, and our members are quite rightfully
pissed off. It's discriminative against those members. I believe that
there's about one hundred and eighty members that will actually
receive the bonus this year out of the seventeen hundred
and eighty six members, I think we've got at the
(09:42):
moment so quite rightfully, our members.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Are pissed how many are missing out? You know, like
how many of them don't fall into you know that
ten year, fifteen, twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
So there's around sixteen hundred members out of the seventeen
hundred and eighty six that don't receive and will not
receive a retention bonus under this scheme.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
This is.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
It's doing nothing to hold our attention of our experience members.
I've said that it needs to continue for at least
five years so everyone has an entitlement to get that
and to make sure we're rewarding that experience and remaining
experience in the Northern Territory Police Force. The current initiative
is doing nothing for retention. It's actually turning to resignation
more than anything.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
Any word from the Northern Territory government as to whether
they will run it for five years so that people
don't miss out.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
I've had discussions with them, but getting back to February
and I was told I couldn't discuss it with the
Chief Minister and she refused to discuss this with me
because of the obviously the media attention back then when
we're obviously advocating for that. The Northern Territory Police Force
have been in consultation with the Chief Minister and they
haven't had any conversation or anything since February this year
with them. So when I get an announcement yesterday a broadcast
(10:47):
is being and they're being paid. This is unfortunately a
decision by the Police Executive and also the Chief Minister
to take this action, and we're not supportive of that, Katie.
We're not supportive of being discriminative against a large percentage
of our members and it's quite rightfully pathetic.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Phinny. What do you say to those listening this morning
who might be saying, well, you know what, we don't
have the money to be able to pay it out
for five years.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
I said, if we haven't got the money, why do
it for one and that not for another? Why be
discriminative against all the hard working men and women of
the police Force which you're turning to to make sure
your lord or a platform is delivered, and we are delivering.
We are delivering in huge numbers. We are doing an
amazing amount of work in the background, and that to
be discriminative against sixteen hundred of our members is quite
(11:30):
rightly disgusting by this Northern Territory government.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Phinny, I'm gonna have to wrap up, but just very quickly.
I mean members getting pierced off that they feel as
though they are the fallback for everything at this point
in time. I mean, you're talking crime on the streets,
Obviously we need the police. You're talking the watch houses overflowing,
obviously you need the police. Our officers, you know, sort
of getting annoyed with that, and then the fact that
maybe the pay bonus and the retention stuff isn't being
(11:55):
sorted through is like as quickly as they'd like.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Definitely, these are announcements to secure votes prior to election, Cady.
These were made and this has been renegged on. This
is actually creating a worse effect on our members because
of the way they've rolled this out. And we've said
that from day dot you cannot discriminate against a large
percent of these members and their experienced members Cuddy that
have stuck around through the hard times are the Northern
(12:17):
Territory Police Force and are committed going forward to actually
providing that safety to the community in the Northern Territory
and they are quite rightfully pissed off and going into
a wage negotiation which we're still going through, which we're
hoping to get to a vote to our members this week.
That's going to have a great effect on that as well, Cady.
They need to be supported, They need to make sure
that this government has their backs because they are. It's
(12:37):
not about feeling like they're being the ones that have
to resolve this. They are the ones that have to
be resolved with this.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
What's the rise going to be? What's the what vote
are we going are they going to this week?
Speaker 2 (12:47):
So the rise that's coming out will have a broadcast
to our membership. Again, it won't be endorsed by the
Northern Territory Police Association, but it'll be placed to our
members that for a vote. As per our conversations with
the government, again, we want to do the best possible
deal for police and make sure that they're supporter and
the current actions being supported and being put out there
by the government are providing that support to our members.
(13:09):
And quite rightfully, we're sick of it, and we represent
ninety eight percent of our members, Cady. We hear it.
We hear the frustrations and our members and they are
absolutely frustrated to a point where why do we even
buy the Katie.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
So are you able to tell us what the percentage
is at this point, Finnie, or do you have to
wait till that broadcast goes out.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Wait till the broadcast comes out of Katie. But obviously
we've been on before. We want to see in excess
of five percent. We haven't got to that mark. And
the offer Karrent offer is somewhat lower than that. And
again we'll place it to our members for their vote,
and they're for their attention.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
So we'll waiting here, Nathan Finn. We are going to
have to leave it there, President of the Northern Territory
Police Association. Always appreciate your time.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Thank you, Katie. And again I like to obviously sing
out to our members in blue and say thank you
very much for what you do. We've got your back,
and we'll continue to fight for better conditions and better
work conditions for you and make sure you're support and
the experience of our experienced police officers are rewarded, not
just because it's a lottery you fall on one year,
you get a retention bonus, we want to see.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
This going on forward, Nathan Finn, thank you so much
for your time this morning.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Thanks Katy,
The Palmerston Watchhouse has once again reached a crisis point
and is overflowing with prisoners. That's according to the Northern
Territory Police Association. The union says there were ninety two
detainees in custody yesterday, including seventy six corrections prisoners who
were no longer supposed to be there. The president, Nathan Finn,
(00:20):
says the situation is putting police officers and prisoners at
an unacceptable risk. He joins me in the studio, good morning, Finny.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Good morning, Katy, Good morning to your listeners.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Now, Finny, ninety two people all up at the Palmeston Watchhouse.
What's the maximum capacity there?
Speaker 2 (00:36):
The maxim capacity is determined obviously based on a number
of factors, Katie, pretending on what the people are in
custody for the offenses, the violence obviously, the tendency for
violence towards other prisoners excepter. So it's hard to say
what the actual capacity is going on from that media
release that we submitted yesterday and what we're speaking about today,
I know that I got an update last this morning
in relation to Hammony and Cassy. We had excess of
(00:58):
one hundred in custody.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Last night, So more than one hundred in custody.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
In Palmerston last night, yeah, which is again, let's strict
contradiction to what obviously the COLP said they're going to
move Corrections prisoners from our watchouses. This is still occurring,
the pressure is still being placed on our custody facilities
and this is also indicating obviously having greater effects on
our obviously frontline capability.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
So so as of this morning, more than one hundred
people in the Palmeston watchhouse. In terms of staffing. Who's
staffing at the police or have you got Corrections staff
in there?
Speaker 2 (01:28):
No, we used to have Corrections and when the announcement
was made that Corrections are going to move out of
our watchhouses, they move their staff out and they left
us to manage these prisoners. We've seen this in excess
of This is not new, Cady. This has been going
on for months and our members are quite frighttily sick
of it and waiting for a death and custody to
occur because of it.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
So they're seriously worried that that's going to be what happens.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
They are very concerned, Catie, and and quite rightfully so,
like the conditions are inhumane to be people held for
days at a time in a cell where they can't move.
They can move around, and I know people and I
don't have any sympathy for people at commit defenses either,
but again it's placing our staff at risk because of
the pressures that being placed there.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Phinny, can you talk us through what those conditions are?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
The conditions are Some of the cells are holding up
to fourteen to sixteen people in a cell, which is
roughly about for four point five meters by four point
five meters square, for them to sleep, for them to
step over each other, it's like playing tetris with people
in a cell. To make that remove and make that obviously,
if something happens in that cell and our staff are
required to enter that cell, they're severely outnumbered.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
So Phinny, I just want to make this really clear
in my head because I know a lot of people
listening this morning, they'll be thinking to themselves, well, you
know what will fee if someone breaks the law? They
deserve to go into the watchhouse.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
And we fully agree with that as well.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
But the problem here is that we're talking about too
many people being housed in that watchhouse. How many of
them apologies if you already said this, but how many
of them are actually corrections prisoners?
Speaker 2 (02:57):
So overnight we had seventy five corrections prisoners on tip
of our prisoners as well.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
But there's no correction staff.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
So unfortunately the Northern Territory Police staff are looking after
the corrections prisoners as well, and that obviously leads to
greater we need to transport them to court. So I've
got thirty one to go to court this morning, which
takes equivalent to five police vehicles off the road for
an extended period.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
So the police are then taking them to court.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
I thought that was what we got those contractors for
the you know the you know how with corrections we
got the contractors.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Katie, police are the ones that are conveying them to
court from the Parmestan watchaus into the day and courts.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
So how many cars do you think are off the road?
Then as a result, at least five cars will be
off the road because they're transporting the prisoners to Is
it not the.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Poictest job, Katie. Our members are quite frustrated in doing that. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
I was going to say, is it usual practice that
the Northern Territory Police if you've got prisoners in the
watchhouse that you would transport them to court.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
If we have prisoners ourselves, if we have prisons from
overnight they're required to go to court, we convey them prisoners,
not just not our prisoners and the Corrections prisoners as well.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
But at the moment this.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Morning is that we had thirty one to go to
court this morning out of that in excess of one hundred.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
So, Finny, you are seriously concerned about the safety of
police officers.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
You feel as though they're outnumbered, definitely.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
And definitely in our facility we've got sometimes we've seen
three members of our staff looking after that many prisoners.
If something happens within that side of their affility facility,
our members are placed at risk and it's an unacceptable risk.
If something does actually kick off in there, they haven't
got the ability to respond to that.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Would it be acceptable in your eyes if Corrections were
providing staff again, Corrections should.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Be fighting stuff, they should be riding. Obviously, the safe
secure of these prisoners in their facilities, that's what we've
been asking for. We haven't got the capacity or obviously
the staff to deal with this, and it's obviously having
an effect on our front line ability to conduct policing.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Finny, in terms of you know, like some of the
ins and outs of this, I guess, and some of
the impacts then on daily operations for the Northern Territory Police.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
I mean, you just touched on.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
The fact that there's going to be vehicles that are
out of action. Then in terms of being able to
respond to crime, our officers then being pulled away from
the front line to manage and maintain safety within the watchhouse.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Definitely, Katie. And that's the biggest issue we're seeing. That's
the biggest frustration we're seeing that we're relying on overtime
to obviously staff these facilities, the custody facilities with these
extra people in there, and sometimes that's our members have
burned out. That members are exhausted. We've seen that over
many months and many years, Skatie. We just can't keep
up with the demand of what's being placed upon the
Northern Churchy Police for their resourcing.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
So you're saying at the moment police are being taken
away from their general patrolling duties to go and help
out at the watchouse.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
That is correct, Katie, and that's where our members are frustrated.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
How many do you reckon would be taken to do
this day?
Speaker 2 (05:50):
It's each day. It's a number of people each day, Katie,
that have to go into the watchhouse to obviously look
after those.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Prisoners, like five of them, two of them.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
I'd have to obviously confirm obviously to a number of people.
But the pressures are being placed on their staff inside
of the custom facilities are seeing them not being able
to cope.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Finny, what is your message for the government this morning.
I mean, you and I have spoken on so many
occasions about this very issue, and it doesn't seem to
be getting better, I know. And it's a juggle in
the sense that I know people listening will be going well.
We expect people to be put in the watchhouse if
they break the law and if they are dangerous, and
then appear in court.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
But it is a real juggle at the moment.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
It definitely is a real juggle, Coady. And we're seeing
it does fluctuate in the number of people committing offenses,
and we've seen our offenses coming down, but we're still
seeing a higher number of prisoners in our watchhouses and
that's not acceptable, Codie. To our staff it's impacting our
ability to conduct policing operations, our policing resources to be
placed on the road to respond to members of the community.
(06:49):
We're seeing this real impact and the stress and fatigue
that have been placed on our custody staff within their
facilities is enormous and it's a genuine health and safety
risk to our members and we are over that again.
If you break the law, I expect you to be
in custody and don't hesitate to have had the conversation.
I'm more worried about my police and my police officers
that are using these facilities.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
So what is your message to the government.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
The message to the government is they need to have
a plan. They need to have a correction splan. We've
seen it, announcements being made that they've got a blue
prian going forward about how we're going to live. When
is the announcement about a new correctional facility because we're
seeing the current ones that can't keep up a capacity.
What is happening. We've been hurt quiet nothing for months
now in relation to what is happening. We need a
new jail, we need a bigger capacity to hold these people.
(07:36):
And Police watch House is not.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
That, Finny. There might be some people listening this morning
concerned that we might see a situation where the police
don't take somebody to the watch house, or don't respond
to a crime, or don't arrest somebody because there is
no room at the watch house. Do you have any
worry that the police will do that.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Katie Bowl reports members are already doing that. Fortunately, we're
a nearly capacity last night. Again, we have limited ability
to take people into protective custody into the watchhouse environment
because we haven't got the room to do that. So
potentially people are remaining on the street, potentially committing offenses
and not going out to watchesse.
Speaker 1 (08:14):
So you are saying that there could be situations right
now where people are committing crimes and not going to
the watchhouse because there's no room.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Definitely, Cati and that's where our members are reporting. Wow,
And that's where I'm at crisis, my staff for at crisis.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Our police officers don't come here to walk past things,
and they want to put people behind bars that deserve
to be behind bars. And unfortunately the current situation is
limiting that a bit.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Finny, just before I let you go, I understand the
government's police retention bonus is being rolled out to officers.
What's been the reaction from members?
Speaker 2 (08:45):
This is disgusting, Katie. This has actually pissed members off,
and quite rightfully so it's discriminative. Again. The announcement that
was the broadcast was put out by the Northern Churchy
Police Force again yesterday. I've had discussions with the government
regarding this retention bonus and I lobbied for it before
a pre election last year. To the Chief Minister who
agreed to it, we told them that the current obviously
(09:07):
commitment was going to be devisive and devise our police force. Currently,
we're seeing that any member that the lottery, that any
member receives an anniversary on this year gets paid a bonus.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
So is there five years, ten.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Years, so ten fifteen, twenty twenty five, they receive a
bonus if we went to that being tenzery for ten
ten years, So the same person that's started eleven years
this year gets nothing, and our members are quite rightfully
pissed off. It's discriminative against those members. I believe that
there's about one hundred and eighty members that will actually
receive the bonus this year out of the seventeen hundred
and eighty six members, I think we've got at the
(09:42):
moment so quite rightfully, our members.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Are pissed how many are missing out? You know, like
how many of them don't fall into you know that
ten year, fifteen, twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
So there's around sixteen hundred members out of the seventeen
hundred and eighty six that don't receive and will not
receive a retention bonus under this scheme.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
This is.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
It's doing nothing to hold our attention of our experience members.
I've said that it needs to continue for at least
five years so everyone has an entitlement to get that
and to make sure we're rewarding that experience and remaining
experience in the Northern Territory Police Force. The current initiative
is doing nothing for retention. It's actually turning to resignation
more than anything.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
Any word from the Northern Territory government as to whether
they will run it for five years so that people
don't miss out.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
I've had discussions with them, but getting back to February
and I was told I couldn't discuss it with the
Chief Minister and she refused to discuss this with me
because of the obviously the media attention back then when
we're obviously advocating for that. The Northern Territory Police Force
have been in consultation with the Chief Minister and they
haven't had any conversation or anything since February this year
with them. So when I get an announcement yesterday a broadcast
(10:47):
is being and they're being paid. This is unfortunately a
decision by the Police Executive and also the Chief Minister
to take this action, and we're not supportive of that, Katie.
We're not supportive of being discriminative against a large percentage
of our members and it's quite rightfully pathetic.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Phinny. What do you say to those listening this morning
who might be saying, well, you know what, we don't
have the money to be able to pay it out
for five years.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
I said, if we haven't got the money, why do
it for one and that not for another? Why be
discriminative against all the hard working men and women of
the police Force which you're turning to to make sure
your lord or a platform is delivered, and we are delivering.
We are delivering in huge numbers. We are doing an
amazing amount of work in the background, and that to
be discriminative against sixteen hundred of our members is quite
(11:30):
rightly disgusting by this Northern Territory government.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Phinny, I'm gonna have to wrap up, but just very quickly.
I mean members getting pierced off that they feel as
though they are the fallback for everything at this point
in time. I mean, you're talking crime on the streets,
Obviously we need the police. You're talking the watch houses overflowing,
obviously you need the police. Our officers, you know, sort
of getting annoyed with that, and then the fact that
maybe the pay bonus and the retention stuff isn't being
(11:55):
sorted through is like as quickly as they'd like.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Definitely, these are announcements to secure votes prior to election, Cady.
These were made and this has been renegged on. This
is actually creating a worse effect on our members because
of the way they've rolled this out. And we've said
that from day dot you cannot discriminate against a large
percent of these members and their experienced members Cuddy that
have stuck around through the hard times are the Northern
(12:17):
Territory Police Force and are committed going forward to actually
providing that safety to the community in the Northern Territory
and they are quite rightfully pissed off and going into
a wage negotiation which we're still going through, which we're
hoping to get to a vote to our members this week.
That's going to have a great effect on that as well, Cady.
They need to be supported, They need to make sure
that this government has their backs because they are. It's
(12:37):
not about feeling like they're being the ones that have
to resolve this. They are the ones that have to
be resolved with this.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
What's the rise going to be? What's the what vote
are we going are they going to this week?
Speaker 2 (12:47):
So the rise that's coming out will have a broadcast
to our membership. Again, it won't be endorsed by the
Northern Territory Police Association, but it'll be placed to our
members that for a vote. As per our conversations with
the government, again, we want to do the best possible
deal for police and make sure that they're supporter and
the current actions being supported and being put out there
by the government are providing that support to our members.
(13:09):
And quite rightfully, we're sick of it, and we represent
ninety eight percent of our members, Cady. We hear it.
We hear the frustrations and our members and they are
absolutely frustrated to a point where why do we even
buy the Katie.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
So are you able to tell us what the percentage
is at this point, Finnie, or do you have to
wait till that broadcast goes out.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Wait till the broadcast comes out of Katie. But obviously
we've been on before. We want to see in excess
of five percent. We haven't got to that mark. And
the offer Karrent offer is somewhat lower than that. And
again we'll place it to our members for their vote,
and they're for their attention.
Speaker 1 (13:39):
So we'll waiting here, Nathan Finn. We are going to
have to leave it there, President of the Northern Territory
Police Association. Always appreciate your time.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Thank you, Katie. And again I like to obviously sing
out to our members in blue and say thank you
very much for what you do. We've got your back,
and we'll continue to fight for better conditions and better
work conditions for you and make sure you're support and
the experience of our experienced police officers are rewarded, not
just because it's a lottery you fall on one year,
you get a retention bonus, we want to see.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
This going on forward, Nathan Finn, thank you so much
for your time this morning.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Thanks Katy,
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