00:00 A controversial restraint banned in NT youth prisons that could come back into use if the
00:07 country Liberal Party wins the next election.
00:11 If you don't want to have PPE like a spit hood put on you, then don't spit on our frontline
00:16 workers. When you're dealing with offenders who are willing to bite their tongue, bite
00:21 their cheek and spit blood and phlegm in the face of a frontline worker, that we have to
00:26 make sure that those people are safe.
00:28 The AFP ended its use of spit hoods last year after a review found they are ineffective
00:35 in protecting against transmissible diseases. But the Police Association argues they're
00:41 a necessary option.
00:42 Over the last couple of weeks we've seen a number of our members assaulted. In the watch
00:46 house environment we've had two members bitten.
00:48 In a statement, the NT Children's Commissioner Shalina Musk said while all frontline workers
00:54 deserve to be safe at work, there was no evidence to suggest they increase safety. She says
01:00 the Northern Territory must not go backwards and step away from the evidence-based approach
01:06 to spit hoods that has been adopted in recent times.
01:09 Since Latoya's brother died in custody in 2016, restrained in a spit hood in South Australia,
01:16 she's been pushing for legislated bans.
01:19 This news is incredibly alarming. It feels completely like we are stepping backwards
01:25 into archaic days.
01:28 While not committing to prohibiting spit hoods in law, the Minister for Territory Families
01:32 says they don't need to be brought back.
01:35 We have used PPEs in the past. We have not needed those spit hoods since we've ruled
01:38 those out.
01:39 Both sides of politics well aware crime is on voters' minds, heading towards the election.
01:45 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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