Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Matt Hepworth spoke with Minister for Police Fire and Emergency Services Nicole Manison

Transcript

Matt Hepworth spoke with Minister for Police Fire and Emergency Services Nicole Manison · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Joining me on the line is the Northern Territory Police
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Ministernicle Madison.
• 0:03
  Speaker 2: Good morning, Good morning, Mattie man.
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  Speaker 1: I we know nearly three hundred Rual residents packed community
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: hall on Saturday to address concerns of crime in the
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: area police. That comes as thirty four incidents have been
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: reported to police in the past twelve weeks. Minister, First
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  Speaker 1: of all, can I ask why there wasn't a government
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: representative there?
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  Speaker 2: Well, we did have government representatives. We had people from
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  Speaker 2: the police and from the Department of Territory Families and
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  Speaker 2: I have full confidence into local members to represent their
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  Speaker 2: views to me on what is going on in their community.
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  Speaker 2: They know they can pick up the phone to me.
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  Speaker 2: But what I want to say about the meeting was
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  Speaker 2: that there was clearly a significant turnout. There was more
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: than what anybody had anticipated, and I think that's recognition
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  Speaker 2: about how people are feeling because we have seen from
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  Speaker 2: the start of the year there had been a decrease
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: in criminal activity between January to September. However, from September
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  Speaker 2: to November we had seen thirty four reported incidents compared
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  Speaker 2: to twelve for the same time time the year before.
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  Speaker 2: There are persons of interest that have been identified there,
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  Speaker 2: and police are working very hard to deal with that.
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  Speaker 1: We've heard reports this morning from Keesiopiric that said she
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  Speaker 1: asked for a simple show of hands of perhaps how
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  Speaker 1: many people hadn't reported an issue of crime on their property.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, given that, as you mentioned, with some of
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  Speaker 1: those stats, we've already seen a crime a spike in
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  Speaker 1: those numbers in the later part of the year, do
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  Speaker 1: you think it could actually the problem could be even
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  Speaker 1: worse than the numbers are showing.
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  Speaker 2: Well, I have to go off what has been reported.
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  Speaker 2: I think people, if they have experienced crime, should always
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  Speaker 2: report it, no matter how minor it is, because it's
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  Speaker 2: important to recognize that we can only respond to what
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  Speaker 2: we can see and what we know about. So I
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  Speaker 2: can't stress the importance that people do report any criminal
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  Speaker 2: activity because police don't just go to places randomly. They
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  Speaker 2: actually use intelligence to understand what the criminal activity is
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  Speaker 2: like and what the flows of behavior are like, so
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  Speaker 2: they can best target their resources to where it goes
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  Speaker 2: to tackle those issues and try to prevent crime. Ultimately,
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  Speaker 2: what are.
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  Speaker 1: The police resources in the rural area at the moment.
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  Speaker 1: We've heard reports that there is only one patrol cast
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  Speaker 1: servicing that area. Is that the case.
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  Speaker 2: I don't have the exact numbers, but we do have
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  Speaker 2: the Humptyd station that has opened twenty four to seven,
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  Speaker 2: so they're operating out of there. We've also got the
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  Speaker 2: Palmeston Police station down the road as you know, Maddie,
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  Speaker 2: which we opened a new one last year and had
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  Speaker 2: invested thirty million dollars into that too, So we've got
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  Speaker 2: those police resources that can help people out in the
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  Speaker 2: rural area.
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  Speaker 1: The Humpty Do Police station had that closed for a
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: period of time.
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  Speaker 2: No, what we've had is the front counter during COVID
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  Speaker 2: and because of the basically the pressures that we had
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  Speaker 2: on resources to deal with border issues, that had not
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  Speaker 2: been operating. But the advice I've had back is that
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  Speaker 2: that is open during business hours again Monday to Friday.
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  Speaker 1: So are there dedicated police resources for the rural area,
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  Speaker 1: say if we're talking Howard Springs, Humpty Doo, Nunamar down
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  Speaker 1: as far as say Adelaide River or are those resources
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  Speaker 1: shared with Palmerston.
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  Speaker 2: So we've got people that are dedicated out there and
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  Speaker 2: Humpty de to the rural area and I've certainly met
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  Speaker 2: them a few times before and they deal with a
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  Speaker 2: whole raft of issues out there in the rural area.
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  Speaker 2: We've also got people at Palmerston. We've also got offices
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  Speaker 2: that are based at Adelaide River, So we do have
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  Speaker 2: offices at different stations in the area. But the offices
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  Speaker 2: at Humpty Do they do tend to deal with very
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  Speaker 2: rural type areas that happen out there locally.
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  Speaker 1: How many officers are based at that Humpty Do Police station.
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  Speaker 2: Oh, I don't have the numbers in front of me, Maddie,
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  Speaker 2: but like I've gone out there a few times and
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  Speaker 2: certainly met that there were several members out there at
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  Speaker 2: the station and they were very happy. They loved being
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  Speaker 2: out there and servicing the rural area, and many of
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  Speaker 2: them lived in the rural area. So we've certainly got
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  Speaker 2: some very dedicated officers out there.
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  Speaker 1: You mentioned they obviously deal with a lot of those
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  Speaker 1: rural issues. Given this crime spike that we've seen, and
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  Speaker 1: with all due respect to those officers out there, is
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  Speaker 1: it a case that they're not fully equipped to deal
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  Speaker 1: with this crime wave that we're seeing at the moment.
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  Speaker 2: No, So again, I've got a stress we've seen between
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  Speaker 2: late September to November twelve this time last year compared
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  Speaker 2: to thirty four now, and the police do believe that
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  Speaker 2: they know who has done this and they're working through
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  Speaker 2: those persons of interest to bring them to justice. So
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  Speaker 2: they are working through that and they are investigating these issues.
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  Speaker 1: So there is hope that we could see some arrests
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  Speaker 1: related to what these residents are describing as this crime
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  Speaker 1: wave soon.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely. Like I said, they have got persons of interest
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  Speaker 2: who they are examining around these issues, and they're working
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  Speaker 2: very hard around this.
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  Speaker 1: The Anti News reports some residents at the meeting asked,
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  Speaker 1: can we shoot them? Can we use our registered firearms
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  Speaker 1: if we fear for our lives? They went on to
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  Speaker 1: ask what is reasonable force to protect our families? What's
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  Speaker 1: your reaction to comments like that?
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  Speaker 2: Call the police. Always call the police. Don't muck around.
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  Speaker 2: If you feel in fear, always called the police. They
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  Speaker 2: will respond very quickly.
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  Speaker 1: Are you worried we could see a rise in vigilante
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  Speaker 1: behavior with comments like that, though.
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  Speaker 2: I would never recommend that. What I would always say
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  Speaker 2: is that our police are highly trained. They go through
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  Speaker 2: extensive training to deal with issues and to deal with criminals.
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  Speaker 2: So please always call the place.
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  Speaker 1: Man just to confirm that the Humpty Do police station,
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  Speaker 1: so that is open twenty four to seven, because you've
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  Speaker 1: just got a couple of texts coming in suggesting that
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  Speaker 1: it's not so.
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  Speaker 2: I think what they'd be thinking would be the front counter.
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  Speaker 2: We do have officers. The advice of God is working
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  Speaker 2: out of there. Twenty four to seven.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, thank you for clarifying that. We've also had some
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  Speaker 1: listener reports here at mixed one oh four point nine
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  Speaker 1: of territory families having houses in the suburbs and now
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  Speaker 1: one in the rural area to accommodat kids who have
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  Speaker 1: nowhere else to go. I want to share this message
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  Speaker 1: from deb with you does say, hi Katie, but we'll
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  Speaker 1: go with it. Are you able to find out why
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  Speaker 1: Territory families have put a juvie home in the rural
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  Speaker 1: area at mcmon's when we have no functional police station
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  Speaker 1: out of business hours? Is it just coincidental that there
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  Speaker 1: have been breakings nearly every night in the area and
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  Speaker 1: there are teams being caught on camera. Locals have had enough.
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  Speaker 1: This crime surge has been in the past few weeks now. No,
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  Speaker 1: you're obviously not the Territory Famili's minister, but are you
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  Speaker 1: worried that these type of arrangements could be contributing to
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  Speaker 1: crime in these areas?
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  Speaker 2: And again, what I would say to Dereb is that firstly,
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  Speaker 2: we do have the police station that's operational twenty four seven,
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  Speaker 2: but also that we do have persons of interest that
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  Speaker 2: they are looking at. I'm not across the full details
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  Speaker 2: of this house that she's talking to, but I will
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  Speaker 2: certainly have a look into it, but we do have
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  Speaker 2: persons of interest. Please are very much so across what
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  Speaker 2: has been happening here and they are dealing with those
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  Speaker 2: persons of interest.
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  Speaker 1: Just finally, Minister, the consensus from everyone, regardless of politics, residents,
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  Speaker 1: whether you've been affected or you haven't, is people keep
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  Speaker 1: saying something needs to change. As Police Minister, what do
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  Speaker 1: you think that is and how quickly can that change happen?
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  Speaker 2: Well, we're putting more resources into police. As you know,
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  Speaker 2: we've never had a higher police budget and more numbers
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  Speaker 2: in the police, so that's what we've done under this government,
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  Speaker 2: and also making sure that we've got more consequences in
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  Speaker 2: the system for those that go about committing crime, and
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  Speaker 2: that's exactly what we've put in place. We've got work camps.
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  Speaker 2: We're going to be doing more family responsibility agreements, making
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  Speaker 2: more parents accountable for the behavior of their kids. We're
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  Speaker 2: reviewing penalties when it comes to property offenses and ringlead.
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  Speaker 2: The legislation will be coming in at the start of
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  Speaker 2: next year. So we're doing a raft of work to
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  Speaker 2: make sure that those who commit crime are held to
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  Speaker 2: account for it and ensuring that our police have the
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  Speaker 2: resources they need.
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  Speaker 1: Minister, just before you go, I just want to share
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  Speaker 1: a quick grab from the Police Association President Paul McHugh
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  Speaker 1: regarding an incident that happened in our Springs. I just
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  Speaker 1: want to get your thoughts on that.
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  Speaker 3: This is an example of some of the current behavior
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  Speaker 3: that our officers face on the streets, not just in
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  Speaker 3: our Springs but across the whole territory. And thankfully the
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  Speaker 3: officers are okay, but of course, you know, when you
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  Speaker 3: look at some of the offences that individual's being charged with,
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  Speaker 3: including kicking, hitting, biting and spitting, I mean that is
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  Speaker 3: absolutely outrageous behavior towards members of our police force that
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  Speaker 3: are there simply protecting the community. We will not tolerate that.
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  Speaker 3: The Association is outraged with that, and we want to
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  Speaker 3: make sure that these things are stamped out and that
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  Speaker 3: is through the court process and the justice system.
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  Speaker 1: That was, of course, in relation to the video footage
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  Speaker 1: of a fourteen year old allegedly assaulting police officer in
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  Speaker 1: Alice Springs. What was your reaction to that footage? And
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  Speaker 1: I guess the comments from the Police Association president there.
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  Speaker 2: I was absolutely appalled by that footage. To put it mildly,
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  Speaker 2: I thought the police conducted themselves in an incredibly professional
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  Speaker 2: manner in what was a very difficult, difficult circumstance there.
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  Speaker 2: So my hat goes often they did a great job.
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  Speaker 2: But again, people who go out and if they are
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  Speaker 2: to attack police officers, there are some very hefty penalties
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  Speaker 2: in place for those who do that. But we are
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  Speaker 2: also reviewing those penalties too to see ways in which
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  Speaker 2: they may need to be strengthened. But you know, absolutely
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  Speaker 2: appalling behavior. Our police are out there serving us and
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  Speaker 2: keeping us safe and it is just terrible when people
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  Speaker 2: turn on polace. It absolutely sickening, sickening behavior.
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  Speaker 1: Are you worried that when we're trying to recruit police
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  Speaker 1: and I mean images like this are shared widely on
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  Speaker 1: social media. I mean, the first thought that came to
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  Speaker 1: my mind, is why on earth would you want to
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  Speaker 1: be a police officer when you're dealing with that.
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  Speaker 2: Well, Mattie, I hate to say it, it's not just
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  Speaker 2: an issue within the Northern Territory. It's something that police
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  Speaker 2: face right around the country and across the world because
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  Speaker 2: what they do it's not easy. They deal with people
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  Speaker 2: in all types of situations that are in all types
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  Speaker 2: of states, and you know, you'd be a fool to
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  Speaker 2: think that you join any police force and not have
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  Speaker 2: to deal with some very difficult people and some physical
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: altercations from time to time. They do everything in their
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: training to minimize those physical encounters and people getting themselves
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: into that situation. But unfortunately, as you can see, that
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: was pretty full on what those police had to manage
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  Speaker 2: and deal with. And again I thought they handled themselves
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  Speaker 2: very professionally.
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  Speaker 1: So is there a review underway at the moment to
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  Speaker 1: look at some of those penalties and increasing them for
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  Speaker 1: those assaults on officers? Yes, yeah, okay, that's good to hear.
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: Well the Northern Territory Police Minister Nicle Madison, We'll have
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: to leave it there. Thank you so much for taking
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: some to answer our questions and a few of those
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  Speaker 1: listening questions as well.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you, Maddie.
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  Speaker 1: That's the Northern Territory Police Minister Nicole Madison. Following that
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: meeting in the rural area on the weekend, we're up
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  Speaker 1: to almost three hundred residents turned up to this meeting.