NTPA conference hears government policies failing frontline police officers

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Northern Territory Police Association president Nathan Finn has told a gathering of police in Darwin that the state’s police force is currently down 200 officers and facing its largest call for service in history.

Transcript

00:00 10 weeks into the job and already fed up with inaction.

00:06 Time for change is well overdue. We are not the government's and communities punching

00:10 bags. I'm sick of talking to the government in

00:13 relation to what our members deserve. I'm sick of talking to these people who give me

00:18 lip service. The police union's new president using his

00:21 first public speech to slam successive NT government policies he says have led to a

00:27 force in crisis. When will you and the government start listening?

00:31 In a speech to more than 60 officers, Mr Finn criticised the decision to ban spit hoods

00:36 and raise the age of criminal responsibility without the support of programs.

00:41 The government's changes to bail reforms also in the firing line, with Mr Finn arguing they

00:46 don't go far enough. Criticisms all backed by the NT opposition

00:50 leader who says the CLP can do it better. Crims before cops has got to stop. The CLP

00:57 hears your calls for help and has continued to push for change.

01:03 The arguments a continuation of police frustration and coming as no surprise to the police minister

01:09 who's confident the government has the right approach.

01:12 This is the opportunity for him to address his members and I completely respect that.

01:16 The annual conference has now wrapped up and police minister Kate Warden has confirmed

01:21 the government is committed to a staffing and resource review. However, she wouldn't

01:26 be drawn on how long it would take and wouldn't commit to making it public.

01:30 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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