30 June 2022
The NT Police Association wants more detail to be provided over the Fyles Government plan to spend $2 million on a Public Order Response Unit to target anti-social behaviour instead of investing more funding into front line police.
The NTPA were not consulted or made aware of the Unit prior to its announcement on Tuesday and President Paul McCue questioned what training this unit will receive?
Mr McCue said it appeared the Unit was a way to cut costs by introducing a second tier of policing. He called on the government to provide an urgent update to the NTPA on the Unit and its roles and responsibilities.
“This is a clear indication of the failure to ensure sufficient police are on the ground to do the job. It may in fact create more work for our understrength police,” he said.
“Have we really got to the stage we are cutting costs by introducing second tier policing by having security guards patrolling the streets regarding anti-social behaviour?
"Make no mistake, this is significantly different to security patrolling shopping centres, for example, with clearly defined boundaries.
“Our fear is the security guards will become victims themselves and targeted by offenders.”
Mr McCue called for more details of the plan to be urgently released.
