Leader of the Opposition, Lia Finocchiaro, says the Police Minister’s performance on the
fourth day of Estimates bordered on embarrassing as she fumbled her way through basic
questions around her key portfolio.
“It is farcical the Minister – who is the former Treasurer – couldn’t even answer the first
questions put to her around what is the agency’s efficiency dividend.
“When questioned about the police force’s ballooning attrition rate, the Minister blamed
interstate police recruitment drives, despite the fact only ten of the 95 officers who left the
force in the current financial year completed an exit interview which would provide crucial
information around why our police are resigning.
“The Police Commissioner attempted to water down concerns over the sharp increase of
officers calling it quits, citing a rise in attrition from 4.92% from the previous year to 5.25%.
“Yet, in January of this year Assistant Commissioner Michael White was reported in the
media as saying the 2020 attrition rate was 3.23% (NT News January 20, 2021). That’s a
massive difference compared with the figure provided today by the Commissioner – which
one is correct? If we have jumped from an attrition rate of 3.23% to 5.25% our force is
facing a staffing crisis.
“It’s horrific there have been 169 assaults on police this financial year to the 31st of March,
and of the 236 charges relating to assaults on police, there have only been 64 convictions.
The system is clearly broken. The toughest penalties should apply to those who assault
police.
“The revolving door of crime clearly hasn’t even been slowed down by Labor’s new youth
justice amendments:
- 61% of all arrests by Strike Force Trident (1st July 2020 to 1st March 2021) were youths;
- 64% of all arrests by Strike Force Viper since October 2020 were youths;
- 13 youths arrested by Strike Force Viper since October were arrested five times or more;
- 239 youth offenders were arrested 420 times from July 1st to March 31st;
- Of the 239 youths arrested, half (117) were on bail at the time of arrest; and
- Those 117 youths were arrested 192 times whilst on bail.
“The Gunner Government is still fudging figures on police numbers with recruits in training
at the college, including Auxiliary recruits included as ‘frontline’. And yet, no graduate police
have been posted to Darwin and Palmerston’s urban and rural stations since 2019.
“It was also revealed Commissioner Chalker spends 50% of his time dedicated to his role of
Police Commissioner due to the demands of being Territory Controller with oversight of the
NT’s COVID response.
“Meanwhile, the much heralded ring leader legislation has clearly not made its mark with
the Minister taking questions on notice around how many people have been charged under
the legislation, which was passed in March,” said Ms Finocchiaro.
ENDS