By ERWIN CHLANDA
The Territory police chief is continuing his campaign he launched at the Garma Festival of apologising to Indigenous people.
Ever since the event ended on August 5, every police media release has been prefaced with this: “An apology to Aboriginal Territorians. I, Michael Murphy (pictured), Commissioner of the Northern Territory Police am deeply sorry to all Aboriginal Territorians, for the past harms and injustices caused by members of the Northern Territory Police.” And so on. See above.
The Police Association, from which Mr Murphy has now resigned, has made it clear that the members under his command who have not inflicted harm nor injustices upon Aboriginal Territorians are unimpressed.
Meanwhile the police media section, which puts out the releases, is giving Mr Murphy’s personal propaganda more attention than dealing with media enquiries.
The News sent this email to PFES.Media@pfes.nt.gov.au on July 12:
“The commissioner said yesterday that during the curfew that ended yesterday some children were taken by the police to a ‘responsible adult’.
“Without mentioning names nor locations, how many children were dealt with in this way; in each case describe the circumstances of the adult and the location; has there been a follow-up by the police; what has the child been doing since he or she was apprehended; what are the ongoing arrangements for the child.
“If the arrangements are linked to Families or another government organisation or an NGO, please let me know who to speak with.
“Also, with respect to the violent disturbance in Bath Street on July 10: Was the police aware that it was likely to happen? Does the police cultivate a network of contacts in the town camps and the multitude of Aboriginal organisations who are likely to have information about community, family, tribal tensions?”
We doubled up on both issues through the new portal for police media requests – yet no response at all.
The portal includes the ridiculous mandate that no response deadline of less than two hours is accepted. Mobile numbers go straight to voice mail but there is no reply.
The News is now investigating without collaboration from the police the vexed issue of adults “responsible” for children committing crimes that have destroyed, together with social media, the reputation of the town, halving the number of tourists and doubling the number of homes for sale.
Why do police / PALIs at bottle shops continue to racially profile Aboriginal people when checking their ID before entering the premises?
No point apologising for “past injustices” if current practices continue to discriminate.
Non-Aboriginal people are not subjected to the same level of scrutiny. The time taken to determine bona fides is much longer for Aboriginal people.
I lived in Alice 1969-72 and visit occasionally including July 2024. Visited a “grog” shop, the staff asked where I was staying, why I was purchasing “grog”, asked for my drivers license and was told I could not purchase any more “grog” after leaving the premise.
A copy of my drivers license was scanned and an image kept to cross check if I tried to make a further purchase elsewhere on the day.
Spoke to interstate visitors whilst in the shop and they were bemused and perplexed by the impost. Something is terribly wrong with the 3% of Australia’s population that is effecting 97% of the remaining compliant Australians. PS. I’m a responsible consumer of alcohol.