Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now, as we've been discussing over the last couple of days,
we know there were thirty two recommendations handed down as
part of the summary of the coroner's twelve chapter, six
hundred page findings into the death of komen Ji Walker.
Elizabeth Armitage recommending the Northern Territory government implement mandatory drug
and alcohol testing for police after critical incidents to bring
(00:20):
the Northern Territory in line with other jurisdictions. She also
recommended for the Northern Territory Police well policies for officers
to carry AR fifteen semi automatic assault rifles, strengthening their
anti racism strategy, tailored cultural training, the development of a
debrief and welfare policy for deaths in custody, and all
(00:42):
members to do remote postings of four months in their
first three years of employment with the force. Now, the
Northern Territory's Police Acting Commissioner Martin Dole is going to
join us on the show a little bit after ten
o'clock this morning, so we'll talk in a bit more
detail about it with him as well. But me in
the studio right now is the president of the Northern
(01:03):
Territory Police Association, Nathan finn Good morning to.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
You, Good morning Katy, and good morning to your listeners.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Now, Finny, what was your reaction to the findings the direction?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
It's been a long awaited The findings have been a
long waited event coming out. Our members are still frustrated,
our members that have been tainted by a brush that
we're all racist and we've got a racist police force.
Before we go into that, I'd just like to acknowledge,
obviously the findings that have been handed down and obviously
the severe impact that's had not only on the family
of mister Walker, but also a police force and our members.
(01:34):
The effect that's had has been insurmountable on some of
these members that they can't continue policing because of it.
We've seen this, We've seen the conjecture that's been had
in relation to this. All I can say is that
we haven't got a racist police force. We have a
police force that has pockets of this, and we acknowledge that,
and we acknowledge that and the evidence that's been presented.
But we want to make sure that we have a
(01:55):
police force that's professional, respected and make sure they're supported
going forward.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
So Finny yours that after those findings and the recommendations
were handed down earlier in the week that you've got
some officers saying they don't feel they can continue to
police in the end.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
T that's correct, Katie, and the comments that have been
made are unfairly commented on some of the members and
the members that have gone past. We've gone above and
beyond in policing in the Northern Territory and the majority
of our members do the right thing. Unfortunately, we've seen
this and the evidence being presented is indicated there are
some members that don't do the wrong thing and they
need to be dealt with and they should have been
dealt with at the time.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
So do you feel as though everybody has been sort
of painted in the same way when that is not
the case.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Yeah, definitely, And that has an effect, and that has
an effect on morale caati. There's an effect on their
reasoning to continue the police and put their life on
the line and the sacrifices they make to protect the
Northern Territory community. We're incredibly proud of the men and
women of the Northern Territory Police Force who show up
every day in some of the toughest and most conference
conditions in the country. Katie, their professional and courage commitment
to community safety deserve recognition and ongoing support. We work
(02:58):
in some of the most challenging vironments within Australia. We
see that the disadvantage that we see right across the
Northern Territory. We're the ones that they call for protection
and we want to make sure we're the best place
to have that protection and make sure we're resourced appropriate to.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Do that well. And as such, you have actually issued
a statement saying that, as you've just touched on, police
obviously are exposed to trauma and harm and it does
take a toll. But you have said to ensure that
a high standard of policing is upheld, that the police
force needs to implement some changes. What changes do you
think that need to be sort of implemented.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
We need to proactively support our officers. It all takes
a toll in your Katie, including through regular rotation out
of high stress roles, identifying all risk of members, provide
early intervention counseling, fatigue management. Fatigue management is one of
the biggest things we see with our members. They are
currently being burnt out at an alarming rate, Katie, because
of the resourcing issues we've seen over a number and
number of years and support services for these members as
(03:55):
well when they do identify that they have been broken
by what's being going on.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Finny, there is no doubt that the Northern Territory Police face,
you know, issues that I think people in other states
probably can't even put their heads around in a couple,
you know, like in quite a few different ways. There's
there's a lot that we speak about every day on
this show, and I think that you you know that
the large majority of Territorians feel as though police do
(04:20):
a really good job under very difficult circumstances. But I
do know that the coroner has said that she does
believe that there is racism within the Alice Springs Police station.
She's obviously pointed to, you know, to issues of racism.
What do you say to those out there listening that
(04:40):
think that the Northern Territory Police Force is racist?
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Again, Katie, and we see this, the evidence have been presented.
We can't deny what the evidence have been presented. And
we understand that that is the view of the coroner,
that is the view that what's going on, and we
see that as well. We're not saying it doesn't doesn't occur,
and it probably doesn't occur in every workplace within Australia.
We see the Northern Territory Police Force dealing with Indigenous
community ninety percent of the time. In relation to all
our work we do in the Northern Territory, Unfortunately, we're
(05:07):
going to have pockets no matter what we do. In
relation to how we react, we need to make sure
there's clear policies and guidelines about how we investigate these
matters and how people are brought to the attention, make
sure they're responsible for what they're doing and what they're saying.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
I know that the Acting Police Commissioner has announced that
there's obviously the anti Racism strategy, the ongoing delivery of
cultural awareness and anti racism training. They're just a couple
of the measures, as well as the creation of Cultural
Reform Command. Do you think that they are good moves?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Again, we have to see the details in relation to
what's going to occur here. We're happy to work with
the Northern Territory Police Force in developing any policies and
procedures and any discipute processes that we work through, and
we need to make sure that we're fully comprehended and
make sure we're up to speed and briefed in relation
to what they're planning.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Finny. I also know that there's been some you know,
there's been some recommendations in terms of one calling on
the Northern Territory Government to introduce amendments to the Police
Administration Regulations implementing mandatory drug and alcohol testing of a
police member after a critical incident, similar to what other
jurisdictions have in Australia. Is that something that you guys
(06:16):
would support.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
That's something we've been discussing for a number of years, Katie,
and we've been working through and I've even asked as
of probably about six weeks ago, where that's at, where
the policy is at. It was initially supported by the
Norn Territory Police Association some years ago, and I know
this was going to be a topic that comes out
of this coronial and to make sure above it, ahead
of it, to make sure that the police force is
(06:37):
actively looking at.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
This well one of the I mean so by the
sounds of it, it's something that has I mean, I
believe you and I have actually spoken about this over
the years as well. We haven't indeed, and if not you,
I reckon even your predecessor. We've spoken about, you know,
the about that sort of drug and alcohol testing. It
seems to me like it'd be something that's like it
happens if you work out on a mind site and
(06:59):
you're driving trucks. You know, it's a fairly reasonable thing
across different industries, and again.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
It's something that public should expect as well of our
police officer make sure they're not affected by drugs or
alcohol when they're working. It's not unreasonable to have this request.
I've made requests through the Northern Churchy Police Force Executive
since my time of coming to an Churchy Police Asociation
a couple of years ago to progress this. It hasn't
been progressed to date. We'll see how quickly it gets
progressed now Katie is a part of the recommendation.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Yeah, we'll wait and see now that I know that.
The coroner also noted that the Northern Territory Police Force
had recently introduced early intervention policy to identify members whose
performance well being all behavior is problematic or raises red flags,
and which provides for early intervention conversations and other assistance measures.
(07:45):
Is that something that the Association.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Supports, Yeah, definitely, and that's something we've worked with the
Northern Churchy Police Force too, obviously propose and put out
to our membership to make sure that anything's identified at
the earliest possible opportunity, so it can be done with
an corrective behavior attitude and not to have a disappe
outcome attached to that, and to make sure that members
behaviors and sort of workplace habits are rectified at the
earliest possible opportunity.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Finni. One of the other recommendations is that the police
establish a policy with James to ensure that members achieve
a minimum of four months continuous remote posting in their
first three years. Is that something that you support because
I thought we used to do that and then we
sort of pulled away from it.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Away from the Previus Commission to actually drew that from that. It
was part of their contracts for any person signing up
for the Northern Churchy Police Force they had to do
a minimum time of remote service in their first five
or six years. We've seen that gone away from now.
The recommendation for the current needs to be obviously looked at.
There's a lot of issues in respect to members all
serving remote in their first three years. We simply don't
have the resource ands don't have the housing available to
(08:47):
resource our communities appropriately at the moment.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
Well, the other part of it is well, and the
other part of it is that you're potentially sending up
people that are quite inexperienced into remote locations, and as
you and I have discussed on previous occasions, sometime you
know there might be one of the more two of
them out there.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
There's a lot of complexities when you do work remote,
and having work remote myself early in my career, it
was a very challenging time, Katie, where you left your
own devices, where there's not much support offered and you
have to think very quickly on your feet in volatile situations.
We see the violence that's paid towards our members that
doesn't occur justs in Darwin and what's reported in Alice
Springs that refers into our communities each and every day, Catie,
(09:23):
our members are placed at severe danger. Their members need
to be well equipped to deal with that.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Finny, what do you make of the recommendations around firearms
in communities? I mean, would you say that police officers
need to have firearms in communities.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
We need every protection we can cody and for an
operational decision and for recommendations to make that recommendation, we
don't support that. We need to make sure that our
members are supported and need to have the appropriate tools
and available resource to deal with whatever they need to
present it with.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
The Northern Territory's Aboriginal legal led servers say that the
Coroner's not gone far enough in her recommendations. Naja reckon
that they're disappointed that the coroner has not recommended an
independent oversight body to police the Northern Territory Police Force
and drive structural change in the force. Do you think
(10:13):
we need an independent to oversight body?
Speaker 2 (10:16):
How many oversized body do we need? Katie, And that's
Narge's comments and Narjas has their comments. They're entitled to
their owner comments. But again, we've got nomine an office
that overviews our Professional Standards Command and also have an
EYECAC as well. How many levels of governance do we need?
If there's an identified issue that needs to be dealt with,
that should be dealt with in isolation, not putting another
level of governance out of the Northern Territory Police.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
For Finny, we're too from here from the association's perspective,
because I mean, you and I have spoken on so
many occasions about the issues of crime that we've got
in the Northern Territory. We know that we have issues
within remote communities when it comes to crime, but we
also have issues in terms of not having the volume
of police that we might want to have in those
(10:58):
remote communities as well as adequate housing. But then on
the you know, on the other side of this, obviously,
we have got a situation where the coroner is saying
that she believes that in some locations racist behavior has
been allowed to sort of to fester, I guess for
want of a better word. But then you've got so
(11:18):
many hard working Northern Territory police officers who go every
single day in front up you know, when when when
things are really really bad, Like, how do we bridge
all of this from this point on and how do
we all move forward as a community. Whether you're black, white,
or brindle.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
We need to acknowledge that the incident has had a
preferreand effect on not only to the public but also
the police force. The morale has been the lowest we've
ever seen. We seen a nutrition rate that went through
the roof over this period because of the precious being
placed on police. No police member wants to go to
work and take someone's life. I can guarantee you that, Katie,
and I can guarantee that there's no police force or
police member that wants to work in a racist police organization.
(11:59):
We stand with our police and stand with the good
ones that are out there doing the best possible job
that they can do under the circumstances they're currently seeing.
As I said, office we're exposed to repeat to Truman conflict.
This takes a toll, Katie, that leading to empathy, fatigue,
we have burnout, we have some case psychological injury because
of the pressures that our members face. Majority of them
(12:19):
are there to do the right thing and to do
the best possible job they canal at the community.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
It's really not lost on me either that you know
there has there and rightly so. There's been a lot
of coverage of this coronial inquest over the years and
this situation over the years, and rightly so. But there's
also a coronial inquest which is still to see those
findings handed down, and that is into the the suicide
of Michael doutrom Mickey de and you know, to me,
(12:48):
I think that we've got some really broad issues here
and we need to look at this whole situation as
the coroner has done from a really broad ranging, you know,
a really broad ranging way, and also understand that the
Northern Territory Police do a bloody tough job and it
does have a personal toll.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Yeah, definitely, And we've seen this and the current as mentioned,
the coronial investigation currently going on. That's a personal point
for me and the personal point for the association as
we go through this looking at the dangers that our
members face and the current fatigue levels that we're seeing
in our remote PlayStations without the need or any ability
to have respite, with no additional housing, stations that can't
cope with the members we've got out there, the constant
(13:28):
calls for police and the constant raising of those calls
for police. We deal with domestic violence, We teal entrenched
disadvantage every day, and we're the ones that have to
respond to that because we're majority of our communities. We're
the only ones that have a twenty four hour, seven
day a week response and that takes an enormous toll
on our members, and our members are struggling, but we
need to make sure we're supporting them, and I'm supporting
(13:49):
them the best we possibly can to get the resources
we need, get the infrastructure changes we need, and for
them to have the most best and equipment that they
can to respond to these levels of crime across the
Northern Territory.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Finny, to anybody listening this morning that feels that there
is that racism does exist within the Northern Territory Police,
I mean, you know, is there any tolerance here for racism?
Speaker 2 (14:10):
There's no tolerance for racism, Katie. And if the police
force aren't taking your complaints seriously, if there's complaints being
made and aren't taking taken serious, let us know, let
us follow it up on your behalf. Because this is
not the police force that I want to work for.
This is a police force that the people that stand
beside me when I'm on the street want to work
for either, Katie. And if we're all being tailed with
the same brush, why are we even doing what we're
doing and the sacrifice that we're making.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Well. Police Association President Nathan Finn I always appreciate your time.
Thank you very much for joining us in the studio.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Thank you, Katy as has always like to say, is thank
you to the men and women in blue out there
that do the hard yards and make sure that the
community supported and make sure you can do the best
possible job you possibly can with what we've got. We've
always got your back.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Thank you, Nathan Finn. Thank you
Now, as we've been discussing over the last couple of days,
we know there were thirty two recommendations handed down as
part of the summary of the coroner's twelve chapter, six
hundred page findings into the death of komen Ji Walker.
Elizabeth Armitage recommending the Northern Territory government implement mandatory drug
and alcohol testing for police after critical incidents to bring
(00:20):
the Northern Territory in line with other jurisdictions. She also
recommended for the Northern Territory Police well policies for officers
to carry AR fifteen semi automatic assault rifles, strengthening their
anti racism strategy, tailored cultural training, the development of a
debrief and welfare policy for deaths in custody, and all
(00:42):
members to do remote postings of four months in their
first three years of employment with the force. Now, the
Northern Territory's Police Acting Commissioner Martin Dole is going to
join us on the show a little bit after ten
o'clock this morning, so we'll talk in a bit more
detail about it with him as well. But me in
the studio right now is the president of the Northern
(01:03):
Territory Police Association, Nathan finn Good morning to.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
You, Good morning Katy, and good morning to your listeners.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Now, Finny, what was your reaction to the findings the direction?
Speaker 2 (01:12):
It's been a long awaited The findings have been a
long waited event coming out. Our members are still frustrated,
our members that have been tainted by a brush that
we're all racist and we've got a racist police force.
Before we go into that, I'd just like to acknowledge,
obviously the findings that have been handed down and obviously
the severe impact that's had not only on the family
of mister Walker, but also a police force and our members.
(01:34):
The effect that's had has been insurmountable on some of
these members that they can't continue policing because of it.
We've seen this, We've seen the conjecture that's been had
in relation to this. All I can say is that
we haven't got a racist police force. We have a
police force that has pockets of this, and we acknowledge that,
and we acknowledge that and the evidence that's been presented.
But we want to make sure that we have a
(01:55):
police force that's professional, respected and make sure they're supported
going forward.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
So Finny yours that after those findings and the recommendations
were handed down earlier in the week that you've got
some officers saying they don't feel they can continue to
police in the end.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
T that's correct, Katie, and the comments that have been
made are unfairly commented on some of the members and
the members that have gone past. We've gone above and
beyond in policing in the Northern Territory and the majority
of our members do the right thing. Unfortunately, we've seen
this and the evidence being presented is indicated there are
some members that don't do the wrong thing and they
need to be dealt with and they should have been
dealt with at the time.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
So do you feel as though everybody has been sort
of painted in the same way when that is not
the case.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Yeah, definitely, And that has an effect, and that has
an effect on morale caati. There's an effect on their
reasoning to continue the police and put their life on
the line and the sacrifices they make to protect the
Northern Territory community. We're incredibly proud of the men and
women of the Northern Territory Police Force who show up
every day in some of the toughest and most conference
conditions in the country. Katie, their professional and courage commitment
to community safety deserve recognition and ongoing support. We work
(02:58):
in some of the most challenging vironments within Australia. We
see that the disadvantage that we see right across the
Northern Territory. We're the ones that they call for protection
and we want to make sure we're the best place
to have that protection and make sure we're resourced appropriate to.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Do that well. And as such, you have actually issued
a statement saying that, as you've just touched on, police
obviously are exposed to trauma and harm and it does
take a toll. But you have said to ensure that
a high standard of policing is upheld, that the police
force needs to implement some changes. What changes do you
think that need to be sort of implemented.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
We need to proactively support our officers. It all takes
a toll in your Katie, including through regular rotation out
of high stress roles, identifying all risk of members, provide
early intervention counseling, fatigue management. Fatigue management is one of
the biggest things we see with our members. They are
currently being burnt out at an alarming rate, Katie, because
of the resourcing issues we've seen over a number and
number of years and support services for these members as
(03:55):
well when they do identify that they have been broken
by what's being going on.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Finny, there is no doubt that the Northern Territory Police face,
you know, issues that I think people in other states
probably can't even put their heads around in a couple,
you know, like in quite a few different ways. There's
there's a lot that we speak about every day on
this show, and I think that you you know that
the large majority of Territorians feel as though police do
(04:20):
a really good job under very difficult circumstances. But I
do know that the coroner has said that she does
believe that there is racism within the Alice Springs Police station.
She's obviously pointed to, you know, to issues of racism.
What do you say to those out there listening that
(04:40):
think that the Northern Territory Police Force is racist?
Speaker 2 (04:45):
Again, Katie, and we see this, the evidence have been presented.
We can't deny what the evidence have been presented. And
we understand that that is the view of the coroner,
that is the view that what's going on, and we
see that as well. We're not saying it doesn't doesn't occur,
and it probably doesn't occur in every workplace within Australia.
We see the Northern Territory Police Force dealing with Indigenous
community ninety percent of the time. In relation to all
our work we do in the Northern Territory, Unfortunately, we're
(05:07):
going to have pockets no matter what we do. In
relation to how we react, we need to make sure
there's clear policies and guidelines about how we investigate these
matters and how people are brought to the attention, make
sure they're responsible for what they're doing and what they're saying.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
I know that the Acting Police Commissioner has announced that
there's obviously the anti Racism strategy, the ongoing delivery of
cultural awareness and anti racism training. They're just a couple
of the measures, as well as the creation of Cultural
Reform Command. Do you think that they are good moves?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Again, we have to see the details in relation to
what's going to occur here. We're happy to work with
the Northern Territory Police Force in developing any policies and
procedures and any discipute processes that we work through, and
we need to make sure that we're fully comprehended and
make sure we're up to speed and briefed in relation
to what they're planning.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
Finny. I also know that there's been some you know,
there's been some recommendations in terms of one calling on
the Northern Territory Government to introduce amendments to the Police
Administration Regulations implementing mandatory drug and alcohol testing of a
police member after a critical incident, similar to what other
jurisdictions have in Australia. Is that something that you guys
(06:16):
would support.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
That's something we've been discussing for a number of years, Katie,
and we've been working through and I've even asked as
of probably about six weeks ago, where that's at, where
the policy is at. It was initially supported by the
Norn Territory Police Association some years ago, and I know
this was going to be a topic that comes out
of this coronial and to make sure above it, ahead
of it, to make sure that the police force is
(06:37):
actively looking at.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
This well one of the I mean so by the
sounds of it, it's something that has I mean, I
believe you and I have actually spoken about this over
the years as well. We haven't indeed, and if not you,
I reckon even your predecessor. We've spoken about, you know,
the about that sort of drug and alcohol testing. It
seems to me like it'd be something that's like it
happens if you work out on a mind site and
(06:59):
you're driving trucks. You know, it's a fairly reasonable thing
across different industries, and again.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
It's something that public should expect as well of our
police officer make sure they're not affected by drugs or
alcohol when they're working. It's not unreasonable to have this request.
I've made requests through the Northern Churchy Police Force Executive
since my time of coming to an Churchy Police Asociation
a couple of years ago to progress this. It hasn't
been progressed to date. We'll see how quickly it gets
progressed now Katie is a part of the recommendation.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Yeah, we'll wait and see now that I know that.
The coroner also noted that the Northern Territory Police Force
had recently introduced early intervention policy to identify members whose
performance well being all behavior is problematic or raises red flags,
and which provides for early intervention conversations and other assistance measures.
(07:45):
Is that something that the Association.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Supports, Yeah, definitely, and that's something we've worked with the
Northern Churchy Police Force too, obviously propose and put out
to our membership to make sure that anything's identified at
the earliest possible opportunity, so it can be done with
an corrective behavior attitude and not to have a disappe
outcome attached to that, and to make sure that members
behaviors and sort of workplace habits are rectified at the
earliest possible opportunity.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Finni. One of the other recommendations is that the police
establish a policy with James to ensure that members achieve
a minimum of four months continuous remote posting in their
first three years. Is that something that you support because
I thought we used to do that and then we
sort of pulled away from it.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Away from the Previus Commission to actually drew that from that. It
was part of their contracts for any person signing up
for the Northern Churchy Police Force they had to do
a minimum time of remote service in their first five
or six years. We've seen that gone away from now.
The recommendation for the current needs to be obviously looked at.
There's a lot of issues in respect to members all
serving remote in their first three years. We simply don't
have the resource ands don't have the housing available to
(08:47):
resource our communities appropriately at the moment.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
Well, the other part of it is well, and the
other part of it is that you're potentially sending up
people that are quite inexperienced into remote locations, and as
you and I have discussed on previous occasions, sometime you
know there might be one of the more two of
them out there.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
There's a lot of complexities when you do work remote,
and having work remote myself early in my career, it
was a very challenging time, Katie, where you left your
own devices, where there's not much support offered and you
have to think very quickly on your feet in volatile situations.
We see the violence that's paid towards our members that
doesn't occur justs in Darwin and what's reported in Alice
Springs that refers into our communities each and every day, Catie,
(09:23):
our members are placed at severe danger. Their members need
to be well equipped to deal with that.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Finny, what do you make of the recommendations around firearms
in communities? I mean, would you say that police officers
need to have firearms in communities.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
We need every protection we can cody and for an
operational decision and for recommendations to make that recommendation, we
don't support that. We need to make sure that our
members are supported and need to have the appropriate tools
and available resource to deal with whatever they need to
present it with.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
The Northern Territory's Aboriginal legal led servers say that the
Coroner's not gone far enough in her recommendations. Naja reckon
that they're disappointed that the coroner has not recommended an
independent oversight body to police the Northern Territory Police Force
and drive structural change in the force. Do you think
(10:13):
we need an independent to oversight body?
Speaker 2 (10:16):
How many oversized body do we need? Katie, And that's
Narge's comments and Narjas has their comments. They're entitled to
their owner comments. But again, we've got nomine an office
that overviews our Professional Standards Command and also have an
EYECAC as well. How many levels of governance do we need?
If there's an identified issue that needs to be dealt with,
that should be dealt with in isolation, not putting another
level of governance out of the Northern Territory Police.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
For Finny, we're too from here from the association's perspective,
because I mean, you and I have spoken on so
many occasions about the issues of crime that we've got
in the Northern Territory. We know that we have issues
within remote communities when it comes to crime, but we
also have issues in terms of not having the volume
of police that we might want to have in those
(10:58):
remote communities as well as adequate housing. But then on
the you know, on the other side of this, obviously,
we have got a situation where the coroner is saying
that she believes that in some locations racist behavior has
been allowed to sort of to fester, I guess for
want of a better word. But then you've got so
(11:18):
many hard working Northern Territory police officers who go every
single day in front up you know, when when when
things are really really bad, Like, how do we bridge
all of this from this point on and how do
we all move forward as a community. Whether you're black, white,
or brindle.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
We need to acknowledge that the incident has had a
preferreand effect on not only to the public but also
the police force. The morale has been the lowest we've
ever seen. We seen a nutrition rate that went through
the roof over this period because of the precious being
placed on police. No police member wants to go to
work and take someone's life. I can guarantee you that, Katie,
and I can guarantee that there's no police force or
police member that wants to work in a racist police organization.
(11:59):
We stand with our police and stand with the good
ones that are out there doing the best possible job
that they can do under the circumstances they're currently seeing.
As I said, office we're exposed to repeat to Truman conflict.
This takes a toll, Katie, that leading to empathy, fatigue,
we have burnout, we have some case psychological injury because
of the pressures that our members face. Majority of them
(12:19):
are there to do the right thing and to do
the best possible job they canal at the community.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
It's really not lost on me either that you know
there has there and rightly so. There's been a lot
of coverage of this coronial inquest over the years and
this situation over the years, and rightly so. But there's
also a coronial inquest which is still to see those
findings handed down, and that is into the the suicide
of Michael doutrom Mickey de and you know, to me,
(12:48):
I think that we've got some really broad issues here
and we need to look at this whole situation as
the coroner has done from a really broad ranging, you know,
a really broad ranging way, and also understand that the
Northern Territory Police do a bloody tough job and it
does have a personal toll.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Yeah, definitely, And we've seen this and the current as mentioned,
the coronial investigation currently going on. That's a personal point
for me and the personal point for the association as
we go through this looking at the dangers that our
members face and the current fatigue levels that we're seeing
in our remote PlayStations without the need or any ability
to have respite, with no additional housing, stations that can't
cope with the members we've got out there, the constant
(13:28):
calls for police and the constant raising of those calls
for police. We deal with domestic violence, We teal entrenched
disadvantage every day, and we're the ones that have to
respond to that because we're majority of our communities. We're
the only ones that have a twenty four hour, seven
day a week response and that takes an enormous toll
on our members, and our members are struggling, but we
need to make sure we're supporting them, and I'm supporting
(13:49):
them the best we possibly can to get the resources
we need, get the infrastructure changes we need, and for
them to have the most best and equipment that they
can to respond to these levels of crime across the
Northern Territory.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Finny, to anybody listening this morning that feels that there
is that racism does exist within the Northern Territory Police,
I mean, you know, is there any tolerance here for racism?
Speaker 2 (14:10):
There's no tolerance for racism, Katie. And if the police
force aren't taking your complaints seriously, if there's complaints being
made and aren't taking taken serious, let us know, let
us follow it up on your behalf. Because this is
not the police force that I want to work for.
This is a police force that the people that stand
beside me when I'm on the street want to work
for either, Katie. And if we're all being tailed with
the same brush, why are we even doing what we're
doing and the sacrifice that we're making.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Well. Police Association President Nathan Finn I always appreciate your time.
Thank you very much for joining us in the studio.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Thank you, Katy as has always like to say, is thank
you to the men and women in blue out there
that do the hard yards and make sure that the
community supported and make sure you can do the best
possible job you possibly can with what we've got. We've
always got your back.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Thank you, Nathan Finn. Thank you
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