Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / NT Police Association President Paul McCue has welcomed an acknowledgment by the Police Force that 300 additional officers are needed to meet policing demand

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NT Police Association President Paul McCue has welcomed an acknowledgment by the Police Force that 300 additional officers are needed to meet policing demand · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Now. We have been saying we're going to catch up
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: with him all morning, and I am very pleased to
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: say that joining me on the line right now he
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: is off that flight and able to have a chat
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: to us. It is Paul McHugh, the president of the
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: Police Association. Good morning to you, Paul.
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie. How are you very well mate?
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: Thanks so much for having a chat with us. I
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: know that you're in between flights and it's been a
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: bit of a challenge this morning to get you on
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: the line, so we really appreciate you having a chat
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: with us now. It is a very important topic. I
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: think the Northern Territory Police Association is calling for the
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: Northern Territory Government to urgently commit to the three hundred
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: additional officers needed to meet policing demands, as outlined by
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: the Deputy Commissioner Murray Smallpage during this week's coronial proceedings
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: in Alice Springs. Paul, was it a bit of a
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: relief to hear exactly how many police we are short?
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: Yeah? Well, I think for a long time, Katie, as
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: you know, and members have made it very very clear
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: through multiple surveys just how under the pump they are
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: out there on the road, how understaff they feel. So
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: to finally see a number put forward, and some will
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: obviously say that the very ambitious number, but when you're
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: talking about the demands on policing in twenty twenty three,
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: clearly there's a significant boost that's required, and now we
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: have a number to look to look at, which is
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: a positive start at least.
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: Now it's not the only number to look at. He
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: also mentioned I believe five hundred million dollars on infrastructure.
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: I think this is an admission that for many, many years,
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: probably well over a decade, the lack of investment in
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: permanent infrastructure for policing, you know, primarily in our regional
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: remote areas, has floundered at best. There's been very little
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: Northern Territory government government money listed into infrastructure over that
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: period of time. So it sounds like a lot of money,
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: but you've got to think it was two thousand and
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: seventy intervention come in, shipping containers lobbed onto the ground,
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: and here we are still utilizing those completely non fit
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: for purpose facilities. So this is not a surprise to
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: us at all.
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: No, I don't think it's a surprise really to anybody
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: that there is a massive investment needed when it comes
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: to infrastructure, but also when it comes to the policing shortfall. Now, Paul,
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: on Monday, the Chief Minister joined us on the show
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: and she said that hundreds of police officers are on
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: sick leave. She refused to confirm the exact number. But Paul,
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: are we in a situation here where we need three
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: hundred officers because we've got such a large number of
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: police on sick leaf.
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: Well, I think that's an exaggeration to say there's hundreds.
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: There is over one hundred, there's no doubt on various
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: types of long term and short leave. And remember some
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: of those have accepted workers compensation, you know it matters.
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: So that indicates yourself that there's been an unhealthy work
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: environment for some time. So you can't just lob everyone
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: in the same bucket and say, well, all these people
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: are off on sick leave and that's the problem. That's
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: simply an exaggeration. And when you talk about additional police numbers, Katie,
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: you've got to remember it's not just one. You need.
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: You need tree to cover one. People need leave, people
• 3:29
  Speaker 2: need time off, and you need to be able to
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: deploy them, you know where we definitely need them the most.
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: So sick leave is not the problem here. When you've
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: got a lack of resourcing, which our members have made
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: quite were for some time, those people left to do
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: the work are ultimately going to get burnt out, aren't they.
• 3:47
  Speaker 2: They cannot keep turning up and working so much over
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: time without eventually falling over. So that's what we've say.
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: Paul. Have you had the opportunity to meet with the
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: Police Minister since those survey results were released and are
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: we going to see any movement in this space.
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, we had a quick chat over the phone.
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: We haven't been able to meet in person just yet,
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: and I hope to do that next week. But certainly
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: we've made our position very clear. For some time, no
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: one wanted to commit numbers on a page, and obviously
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: we've got the budget coming up and people now our
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: position on this. There needs to be a commitment from government.
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: I've made that abundantly clear to the Minister. Now three hundred,
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: I guess is a lot, but certainly there needs to
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: be an urgent look into the resourcing model for policing
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: because demands have changed enormously in the last.
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: Decade, so we are obviously short on police, yet there
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: are There has been a thirty percent increase, of course
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: in total crime, one hundred and twenty six percent increase
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: in domestic and family violence, and fifty two percent increase
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: in unlawful entries over the past decade. That was what
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: was highlighted by the Deputy Commissioner at the inquest. Paul,
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: what impact is that escalation of crime having on.
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: Police said, it's overwhelming to be frank, I mean you
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: talk to police on the ground. We've been in Atlas
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: Springs earlier this week talking to a group of members there.
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: We're in casual in a station last week, we'll be
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: down in katriin tomorrow. As the feedback is consistent across
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: the board, this increasing crime has enormous effects on their
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: ability to do their job properly, and of course the
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: community then feel life is not enough police because they
• 5:27
  Speaker 2: ring they can't come for sometimes days and that's not
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: the police's fault. That's for government's responsibility to have enough
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: to do the job.
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: Paul. I'm very aware that you're short on time, but
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  Speaker 1: I do just want to touch on I know that
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: you told members of the association yesterday that you're not
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: going to be putting your hand up for another term
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: as the president of the association. Eight years I believe
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: it's been that you've been in that role. Why did
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: you make this decision?
• 5:53
  Speaker 2: Yeah, look, obviously it's not an easy one to make.
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: I've been with the association over ten years now, eight
• 5:59
  Speaker 2: years as president, and you know, it is the election cycle.
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: It's a four year term, and you know, after a
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: lot of thought and you know it, it was a
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: hard decision. But ultimately, if you can't commit to another
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: four year term, I think it's time to move on
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: and allow someone else that opportunity. It's the greatest job
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: I've ever had, but you know, sometimes you've just got
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: to make that call. And the time is right with
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: the election cycle.
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: Well, will you be staying on up until the you
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: know this pay you know this pay dispute, I guess
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: you'd call it is sorted out.
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Well, I certainly have made that commitment to members.
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: We know we want to get this deal done. We
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: have been having some positive discussions with government over the
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: last week or two, and I've made that commitment to
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: the members that I want this jun before I leave
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: and hopefully that's you know, in the next month or so.
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: What's the process in terms of finding a replacement for you.
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: It's just an election, social Katie. So any financial member
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: of the Police Association can nominate to become president. We've
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: got the president president's roll as well as well as
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: several other executive positions up for election, and you know,
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: people can just nominate if they feel they'd like to
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: give it a go. But you know, obviously we've got
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: a really good structure in place. We've got a great
• 7:11
  Speaker 2: executive and staff, so whoever takes that role on will
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: have plenty of supporting place to keep the membership, you know,
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: membership or in wiries going.
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: Paul. I have got a message here from one of
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: our listeners. It says it's very sad that Paul's not
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: staying on as the president of the Northern Territory Police Association.
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: It's a huge loss for police and civilians alike. What
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: a fantastic leader he's been. Thank you, thank you, thank you,
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: says that message.
• 7:38
  Speaker 2: Incredibly humbling to get those sort of messages, and you know,
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: we try and do our job as best as we can.
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: We know, we you know, I'll certainly try to do
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: it as best as I can, and sometimes you don't
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: get it right. As long as you learn from that
• 7:50
  Speaker 2: and keep growing and keep your organization evolving, and that's
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: the important thing. And as I've said, there's no greater
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: job than I've had than representing you know, the members
• 7:58
  Speaker 2: that I believe are the most courageous people out in
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  Speaker 2: our workforce. They go every day to work to keep
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: our community and it is a very humbling experience. I'm
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: certainly going to miss this well.
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: Northern Territory Police Association President Paul mcute, no doubt, we'll
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: talk to you before you finish up, mate, Thank you
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: very much for having a chat with us this morning.
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: Absolutely thanks Cattie, thank you.