Focus on the Force: TGB at the Northern Territory Police Association Annual Conference

It’s time for a focus on the core issues facing the boots on the ground of the Northern Territory’s thin blue line.

That’s the resounding call from the Northern Territory Police Association at its conference as it warned the Territory government and senior Police management that time was well and truly up on increasingly severe assaults on Police, worsening Police numbers and stretched resources.

NTPA President Paul McCue said that decreasing Police numbers on the frontline across the Territory, assaults on Police and their welfare in and beyond the workplace are issues that should be an absolute priority for the Territory government and management of the Police Force.

“This is the immediate and very real environment our Police are dealing with shift after shift, day after day,” he said.

“Our members, the Territory’s Police Officers, are at the coal face of crime and chaos across all corners of the Territory.

“Policing by its very nature is unsafe, dangerous and unpredictable, but right now, we have decision makers exposing our Police to extra danger simply due to not enough resources.

“We call on the Territory government to take the positive lead of other states, such as Victoria, who have recognised and committed significant funding to boost policing numbers.

“Increased drug trade, devastating rates of domestic and family violence and continued examples of alcohol abuse will not improve nor go away by lessening Police numbers,” said Mr McCue.

The Territory’s Police Officers have not received a pay rise this year, as the enterprise bargain agreement process continues, in an uncharacteristically protracted negotiations period.

Following the conference, where delegates heard from a range of speakers including Tindall Gask Bentley partner Victoria Bell, the NTPA continued its call for a whole-of-government approach to alcohol policy, and an end to staffing profit-making takeaway bottle shops with taxpayer funded Police Officers as pseudo security guards.

Tindall Gask Bentley Lawyers is proud to represent the Northern Territory Police Association, and protect the rights and interests of its members who serve the community.