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Katie Woolf spoke with NT Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: We know that that Darwin business was yesterday's shut down
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: for multiple failures to comply with Chief Health Officer directions.
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: Now joining me on the line is the Police Commissioner,
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Jamie Chalker. Good morning to your commissioner.
• 0:12
  Speaker 2: Good morning, Kay.
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: What when did you first become aware that this business
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: was allegedly not making customers wear masks?
• 0:20
  Speaker 3: I mean on their Facebook page.
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: I think they said don't have a mask, no questions asked,
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: and it was something that had been raised quite early
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: in the week.
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: Correct. So our first attendance was on the twenty ninth
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: of June, and disappointingly, when our officers attended there, I
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: met with abuse by the staff and the owner in particular,
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: and our people kept their composure, basically providing an educated
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: for approach, which is something we'd committed to early on
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: for that business to adhere to cope nine end restrictions.
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: On the second of July, we received a further report
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: that they were in breach. We attended there and as
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: you've just touched on some of the behaviors, we're clearly
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: not in compliance and we've did some further education and
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: conversation in that regard. And then as things continued to escalate.
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: On the sixth of July, we reattended where there was
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: continuing non compliance, no COVID management plan in place at all,
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: and more to the point, almost su promotion of requesting
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: individuals to breach the Charede directions, which was not appropriate.
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: So overall the assessment is they were seeking some attention.
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: They certainly got ours, and as a result they've been
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: issued at twenty five dollars body corporate infringement for breaching
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: the Charde directions. And then we've reattended again yesterday afternoon
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: because they'd continued to operate after the Chief Health Officer
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: and issued a specific direction for them to close under
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: the Public and Environmental Health Act. They defied that, so
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: we reattended again yesterday and as a result, to prevent
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: continuation of offending, one of the co owners was arrested.
• 1:57
  Speaker 3: Wow, I mean, commissioner, what were they What was their excuse?
• 2:01
  Speaker 3: What did they sort of say.
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: Well, that's a matter that they'll know now I have
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: to explain before the court. But I don't think there
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: is an excuse.
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: No, And look, it seems quite bizarre to me. I've
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: got to say that. You know that even after you've
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: tried to educate them in what sounds like a fairly
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: positive way that they've still not adhered to those Chief
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: Health Officer directions.
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: Correct, and more to the point, we're reatthending there today
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: to continue to assist them. We've made the offer to
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: help them work through their COVID safety plans so they
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: can get enough roof plan from the Chief Health Officer
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: and they act in accordance with what's expected of everybody
• 2:42
  Speaker 2: else in the Northern Territory, then hopefully their business will
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: be able to trade again.
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: Yeah, because look, I know that some people listening might
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: be thinking, wow, that's a bit heavy handed by the police.
• 2:49
  Speaker 3: You know, it's a it's a big fine.
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: But it does sound as though every step has been
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: taken to really try to do this differently.
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: Correct. We don't move to escalation quickly. We've been very
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: very patient. We've focused on ensuring that awareness and education
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: is there. But unfortunately there's some elements in the community
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: that simply form a view and we end up where
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: we did. But again, certainly for the Northern Territory and
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: the broader population, certainly the vulnerable people for which we're
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: doing all these things for, you should be very comforted
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: about the fact that we'll continue to ensure the compliances
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: in place.
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: And Commissioner, I know that it does follow on from
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: last week the police had to issue a fine to
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: a gentleman in the city who refused to wear a mask.
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: I mean, is there a small element in the community
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: who are sort of I don't know what the right
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: phrase is anti vaxers, are anti COVID or not believing
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: this thing.
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: Clearly is an element that operates with a completely different
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: set of beliefs and value systems some would suggest. But
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: at the end of the day, whilst you can have
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: your individual us and thoughts, the practices that are in
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: place and the directions under this emergency declaration that's issued
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: under the Public Environmental Health Act applies to all and
• 4:09
  Speaker 2: we've been quite upfront with that. We've taken the education
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: and engagement approach, and really it just comes down to
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: an individual's willingness to beat compliant and put themselves second
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: read of what the greater good is.
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: Yeah, Commissioner, have other businesses been doing the right thing?
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: Yes, Look, overwhelmingly we've seen great compliance across the board.
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: As we moved to that staging lift on the first
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: part on Friday last week. We really wanted to be
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: able to make sure as many people could get back
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: to work, and I think businesses can see that there
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: was common sense in the directions we've put in place,
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: and we have got a lot of reliance on them
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: to be self regulating because it's in their best interests
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: that we certainly don't allow COVID to spread through our community.
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: Have you been in a situation where you've had to
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: put any other businesses on notice or sort of had
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: to go in and go through that edge ducation process
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: with others.
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: Certainly not to the extent of which we had to
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: take action yesterday.
• 5:05
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: Right, What about with individuals? Are largely is everybody doing
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: the right thing?
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: Pretty much? Now? I think everyone's got the you know,
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: as I say, let's not lose sight of it. The
• 5:16
  Speaker 2: large majority of Territorians have really done the right thing
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: and that's so pleasing for us. It means that my
• 5:23
  Speaker 2: people can focus on where they really need to have
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: their focus. Again. The great disappointing thing about yesterdays because
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: of the aggressive and abusive behavior that have been demonstrated before,
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: we had to make sure that we had appropriate police
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: to support the public health officials to ensure that there
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: was no breach of the peace and the activities that
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: were being undertaken.
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: Yeah, Now in terms of you know, I know, obviously
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: as the territory controller from your perspective, are we still
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: looking like we're all clear to lift those restrictions and
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: get back to normal from one o'clock tomorrow.
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: It certainly is very encouraging, Katie. We are actively monitoring
• 5:59
  Speaker 2: the waste water testing results. I'm in contact with the
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: Chief Health Officer daily and that's something I know that
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: he is critically assessing. All of those have been given
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: a very strong indication that we've not seen community spread,
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: which is fantastic news for us. The miners that are
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: all based still down At the tent of my mind,
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: he seems have been up since five thirty this morning
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: doing their day twelve swabbing. We're anticipating getting every single
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: one of those tests into Darwin this afternoon to facilitate
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: the testing and the results, because clearly we would want
• 6:31
  Speaker 2: to do all that we can to ensure that day
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: four day, which is on Saturday, for them they're able
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: to return home and go and see their friends and
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: loved ones. So there's a lot of moving parts still
• 6:40
  Speaker 2: in all of this, but I can tell the community
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: that we're quite encouraged with where things are going and
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: certainly still at this point working towards those restrictions being
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: lifted at one pm tomorrow.
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: Yeah, and I tell you what, you know, it's something
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: that probably plenty of us at home now and feeling
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: pretty relaxed, aside from you, Aside from the masks and things,
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: we're all feeling like life, life is fairly well.
• 7:01
  Speaker 3: Back to normal.
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: But as you've said, they're those ton of my mind
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: workers that are still on site. They would be anxiously
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: waiting to get those test results back and to be
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: able to get home.
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: Indeed, and you know, across the board, we whilst we're
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: very very comfortable with the information the news we have,
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: we don't want to become lax. We want to make
• 7:21
  Speaker 2: sure that we hold the line here through to one
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: pm tomorrow because unfortunately there are occasions where, particularly with
• 7:28
  Speaker 2: the Delta aarion as I understand it, people can become
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: positive a little later into the fourteen day period. So
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: again we just want to be certainly on the as
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: mitigated as we possibly can to the risk to ensure
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: that the territory can return to what we don't and
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: don't maintain for so long.
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: In terms of all the testing and tracing, like with
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: those close contacts and you know, everybody that's out at
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: Howard Springs but also those that had been to the
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: Buff Club and other locations.
• 7:56
  Speaker 3: Where is that at?
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: Is it all complete? And are we in a situation
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: where everybody that needs to be in isolation still remains
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: in isolation.
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: That's the case that we've got. We've obviously been working
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: through a lot, and it's not necessarily that straightforward, even
• 8:13
  Speaker 2: just relying on CCTV. So we're very comfortable from the
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: health assessment that the Chief Health Officer is comfortable that
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: the risk has been mitigated from those we've been able
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: to identify and tests to date. Certainly the broader testing
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: that occurred, we know that there was a lot of
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: territories that went and got tests that hadn't been to
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: any of the exposure science. And what that has further
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: added to us is an example across community of what's
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: referred to as sentinel testing and all of those have
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: come back negative, which is just reaffirm the fact that
• 8:43
  Speaker 2: we haven't been subject to any community transfer, which is
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: a wonderful result given that we do know that COVID
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: was president in a number of individuals, and we then
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: saw it not only when it derived from Brisbane to
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: the Mind, but been also into Adelaide and into Queens
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: of the News well. So again, our cooperation and collaboration
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: with those other jurisdictions being able to work with those
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: relevant affected people and their subsequent behaviors is something that
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: we should all be deeply appreciative.
• 9:11
  Speaker 3: Of now, Commissioner.
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: I know that last week there was a lot said
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: about that miner who stopped at the Stuart Park shops
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: before going into Howard Springs. He called us here at
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: the station and claimed that he didn't lie about his movements.
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: He has, though since been issued with an infringement notice
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: for not following those show directions.
• 9:28
  Speaker 3: Do you reckon?
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: Are we in a situation here where those who have
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: to go out to Howard Springs?
• 9:33
  Speaker 3: Should we maybe not be allowing them.
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: To drive out there themselves so that they can't do
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: the wrong thing. Should we have it where I don't
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: know where, we've maybe got another transport system so that
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: we can be sure that they're going straight out there
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: and not doing anything else.
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: So the specific circumstances there was he was already in
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: his own vehicle when he was directed to return home
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: to pack his bags and then proceed to Howard Springs
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: made an active choice. The reality of it is a
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: person who's appropriate in following the directions and driving straight
• 10:08
  Speaker 2: to the quarantine facility. You know, it's reasonable that people
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: would go to go home to get their personal effects,
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: and that's what was afforded to him. Unfortunately, he made
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: a decision that I think he really knew he shouldn't
• 10:21
  Speaker 2: and hence the reason we've got in this situation. But
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: the fact of the matter is, and I've spoken about this before,
• 10:27
  Speaker 2: having a single individual in a vehicle as bars and
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: having too and introducing a third party.
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: From your perspective, are there any lessons that we could
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: learn from the lockdown last week? Or are you pretty
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: pleased by and large with the way that territorians and
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: indeed authorities managed everything.
• 10:44
  Speaker 2: Well. I think we sort of illuminated to it as
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: we spoke about what some changes were going to be
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: from last Friday. The enhancement and increase of QR coding
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: and the obligation to check in at any facility or
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: location you enter. That's certainly going to help us and
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: their contact traces, in particular having that information far more
• 11:03
  Speaker 2: readily available to hand. I think what it also raised
• 11:07
  Speaker 2: is that there is never any predictability about when this
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: might impact into the Northern Territory. So complacency is one
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: of our greatest risks. So we need to make sure
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: that people remain continually vigilant and if they can assist
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: us by making sure that they check in, then it
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: helps us to be able to care for you and
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: your own health by being on the front foot to
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: alert you to the fact that you may have been
• 11:29
  Speaker 2: to an exposure site.
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: Yeah, Commissioner, what's the plan with the borders now? Do
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: we still have police on the borders and for what
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: period of time at this stage?
• 11:38
  Speaker 2: So I says that on a daily basis, as I
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: assess the risks that come out of AHPPC and the
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: information from the Chief Health Officer. Certainly Queensland still has
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: some areas that are obviously a focus of his thoughts,
• 11:54
  Speaker 2: as is New South Wales. So currently our camera will
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: border checkpoint just passed on down in the Northern territory
• 12:00
  Speaker 2: side our checkpoint at Colbrat will remain up. I've closed
• 12:05
  Speaker 2: the order to have closed down the border checkpoint that
• 12:08
  Speaker 2: we are operating on the Big Highway into the WA
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: border towards Cunninara, and we've replaced that with our automatic
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: number plate recognition because there's now currently no hotsquats out
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: to the west.
• 12:19
  Speaker 3: Just lastly, I've just got a couple of listener questions.
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: There's one here that says, Katie, I'm currently sitting at
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: a coffee shop. People are walking in and out without
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: face masks. Are we still meant to be wearing them?
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: Says that Texter, Yes.
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: They are, and that that business should know that practice.
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: They should certainly have adequate signage up there. That indicates
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: that if people are coming through and cannot maintain the
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: one point five meters, and particularly if they're ordering from
• 12:42
  Speaker 2: a takeaway, it's likely you're not going to be able
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: to maintain that one point five meters. So the game
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: which keeps urging Pepper are on the side of caution
• 12:48
  Speaker 2: and wear the mask Commissioner.
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: Another one here it says, good morning, Katie, It's from
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: mattin Driver.
• 12:53
  Speaker 3: Good morning, Katie.
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: Could you please ask mister Chalker about a baptism at
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: a church over the weekend, the priest apparently barring entry
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: to those if they were wearing a mask. Matt says
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: that police did have to attend. Why wasn't it shut
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: down as well? Is that the case?
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: That's the first I've heard of it. So I'll make
• 13:18
  Speaker 2: a call to my incident control of post our conversation
• 13:21
  Speaker 2: this morning, some further information on that one. We'll loop
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: back to you.
• 13:24
  Speaker 3: Yeah, no worries Well, Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker. We better
• 13:27
  Speaker 3: leave it there. We appreciate your time.
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: I know it's been an incredibly busy time for you
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: and continues to be. We really appreciate you speaking with.
• 13:34
  Speaker 3: Us this morning. Thanks Kate, Thank you you too.