Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / NT Police Association President Nathan Finn says members are frustrated by the Chief Minister’s comments that police grant bail when they only work within the government’s laws

Transcript

NT Police Association President Nathan Finn says members are frustrated by the Chief Minister’s comments that police grant bail when they only work within the government’s laws · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Well, we know yesterday the Northern Territory Chief Minister made
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: some comments about bail which certainly the Police Association were
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: pretty unhappy with. They said it was highly embarrassing for
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: the government and deeply insulting to their members for the
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: Chief Minister to lay sole responsibility on police to determine
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: bail for violent offenders. Now joining me on the line
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  Speaker 1: is the Northern Territory Police Association President Nathan Finn. Good morning, Finny,
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: how are you?
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Good morning Katy, Good morning listener.
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: Now, mate, what was your reaction to the Chief Minister's
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: comments yesterday?
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: Just overall frustration from our membership. Obviously it's not police
• 0:42
  Speaker 2: who decides it gets bailed. Obviously we work within the
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: constraints of obviously the current literacy framework, which is determined
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  Speaker 2: by the anti Parliament.
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: So so you know, she'd basically said, she had said that,
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: you know, the police are determining bail. We spoke to
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: the Assistant Commissioner before he'd sort of explained it a
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: bit more to us as you have just done. It
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: doesn't sound as though you know it's wholly and solely
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: the police who are determining whether someone's bailed or not.
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's great, Katie. And obviously there's a process that
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: has to take it's all governed by the obviously legacy
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: framework that we have to offer in Obviously under the
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  Speaker 2: Bail Act, there's a lot of considerations to consider emotion
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  Speaker 2: to bail. But obviously it's clear that government's bil laws,
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: particularly around each weapons aren't the changes do not go
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  Speaker 2: far enough, and the presumption against bail should be extended
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  Speaker 2: included offensive weapons for weapons such as to cause fear
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  Speaker 2: or harm to another person.
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  Speaker 1: So can you just talk me through what's the process
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  Speaker 1: you know? If so, if there is a violent offender
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  Speaker 1: and and you know the police have apprehended that person,
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: and you know it's an aggravated assault, let's say, what's
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: you know, what is the process that the police have
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: to work through.
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: It's obviously the processes of the person the least defenders
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: obviously arrested, taken to the watchhouse of the police facility
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  Speaker 2: at that point time. Obviously the files prepared obviously to
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: a standard acceptable to court for acceptance to court at
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: that point in time. It's obviously there's a custody start
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: that obviously reviews that decision in relation to the overall matter,
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  Speaker 2: make sure the correct evidence obviously suggest that the charges
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  Speaker 2: should be laid, and the charges will be laid obviously,
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: and then a determination of bail is obviously done at
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  Speaker 2: that point in time. There's obviously a presumption whether it's
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: for bail, whether it's neutral, or whether it's against and
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: obviously at that point in time is obviously we make
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: a decision in relation to bail at police obviously police
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  Speaker 2: at that point in time. Obviously there's also a review
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  Speaker 2: process in relation to the last defender can go through
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: as well, which obviously applies for a review of that
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: matter to the judge on call.
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: And so the comment from the Chief Minister was frustrating,
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: I guess because it's, you know, like it seems as
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: though while the police, you know, the police may be
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: determining sometimes whether somebody gets bail or not, a lot
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: of the time that's not the situation. It actually goes
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: much further than that.
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely, Katie, definitely, Obviously I lot to obviously talk
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: to you about it. Obviously, the Chief Minister's reached out
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: personally this morning in relation to the comments that were
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: obviously on your show yesterday, and obviously unreservedly apologized to
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: myself and also to our members for her comments as
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: they are taking out of context, she stated, which I
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: obviously appreciated her reaching out and obviously touching the base
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: an apology, but on reflection, she just needs to know
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: knew that the comments were made were obviously not well worded,
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: and obviously yeah, obviously the police, yeah upset people comments.
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: And so she has she's actually reached out to you
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: this morning to apologize though.
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: Yes, definitely, Katie, she rang up personally apologized to myself
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: and obviously our members, and I basically informed her that
• 3:47
  Speaker 2: obviously I thank you for the apology, obviously, but yeah,
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  Speaker 2: if there's any comments like that, they're going to come
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: out be prepared that they were going to obviously challenge
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: that informed commentary.
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: Well, and yeah, and I guess you know they would
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: expect that, but it is, you know, it's a good
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: thing that she's made contact and apologize to you guys.
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely, she's made some agreements and wants to meet
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: with me personally discuss and obviously pressing issues in relation
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  Speaker 2: to this and obviously in relation to the bail review,
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: and obviously in relation to the resource allocation review also
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: with governments. Obviously, I'm heavily pushing to make sure that
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: our staff is supported out there to do the job,
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  Speaker 2: the best possible job that they can possibly do well.
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: Police Association President, Nathan Finn, appreciate your time this morning,
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: and I'm sure we'll talk to you again soon. I
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: wasn't expecting it to be twice in one week, but
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: I'm sure we'll talk again soon.
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: No, definitely not, kiddie, but you're always here to have
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: a chat with you and obviously to inform your listeners
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  Speaker 2: and obviously support our membership and make sure that they
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: can do the best job they possibly can out there
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: in the public.
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: Good stuff. Thank you so much for your time this morning, Nathan,