Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Police Association President Paul McCue calls for Chief Minister to step up and support police in legislation and leadership

Transcript

Police Association President Paul McCue calls for Chief Minister to step up and support police in legislation and leadership · 360 with Katie Woolf

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  Speaker 1: You're listening to Mix one O four nine's three sixty now.
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  Speaker 1: Yesterday on the show, we spoke about the fact that
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  Speaker 1: there'd been another two incidents of police assaults in Alice
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  Speaker 1: Springs over the weekend. Assaults on frontline workers will be
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  Speaker 1: a focus in Parliament today now, as you've heard, the
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  Speaker 1: colp will introduce the Sentencing Amendment Bill for twenty twenty two,
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  Speaker 1: which includes minimum mandatory sentences for first time offenders who
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  Speaker 1: attack workers including police, paramedics, nurses, doctors, teachers, corrections officers,
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  Speaker 1: retail and hospitality workers, as well as bus and taxi drivers.
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  Speaker 1: Now joining me on the line is the Police Association
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  Speaker 1: President Paul McHugh. Good morning to you, Paul.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie.
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  Speaker 1: Now, Paul, firstly, more assaults on the weekend, we know
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  Speaker 1: in Alice Springs. Can you tell me how many officers
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  Speaker 1: have actually been assaulted in recent days or weeks within
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  Speaker 1: the Territory Police Force. Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: Look, it's sadly happening just about every day, Katie. We
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  Speaker 2: know we've I've seen some terrible footage out there at
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  Speaker 2: what Air and some members were assaulted out there recently,
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  Speaker 2: and we've done our own research and you know from
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  Speaker 2: a period of around thirty seven days from the first
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  Speaker 2: of April this year. Thirty seven police assaulted in thirty
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  Speaker 2: seven days. I mean it's every single day at the moment,
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  Speaker 2: and we've got a large cohort of those assaults being
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  Speaker 2: undertaken by youth and they are in fact targeting some
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  Speaker 2: of our officers out there on the streets. So it's
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  Speaker 2: really dangerous at the moment. We've got some really serious
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  Speaker 2: assaults taking place and we need to see some action
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  Speaker 2: around this for not just out for half police, but
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  Speaker 2: all frontline workers. Well, and I know.
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  Speaker 1: That you are calling on the new Chief Minister, Natasha
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  Speaker 1: Files to show the members of the police force where
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  Speaker 1: she sits when it comes to supporting protection for frontline workers.
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  Speaker 1: You want her to back this legislation which is being
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  Speaker 1: introduced by the COLP. Why do you feel as though
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  Speaker 1: it's necessary.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, obviously, you know many of these assaults that are
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  Speaker 2: taking place being undertaken by repeat offenders, and some of
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  Speaker 2: those offenders have previously been up before the courts on
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  Speaker 2: assault charges against police and being effectively released instantaneously, they
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  Speaker 2: go out and days later are committing further assaults on
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  Speaker 2: our members. So it's quite clear the message isn't getting through.
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  Speaker 2: I'm not holding much hope. I've got to say that
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  Speaker 2: this will be supported given some of the comments in
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  Speaker 2: Parliament over the last few days and by the Minister
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  Speaker 2: recently calling it window dressing. But if that is the case,
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  Speaker 2: and if it's not supported, you know, the members of
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  Speaker 2: the police force need to know what the government's stance
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  Speaker 2: on this is, because they committed to reviewing this particular
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  Speaker 2: legislation in August of last year and we've seen nothing
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  Speaker 2: progress whatsoever. So in the absence of supporting this, they
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  Speaker 2: need to come clean and let our members know what
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  Speaker 2: they're intending to do.
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  Speaker 1: I think that's a really good point because you know,
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  Speaker 1: at the end of the day, if they're not going
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  Speaker 1: to support the celp's legislation, that's fine, but they've got
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  Speaker 1: to have something else up their sleeve. So if that
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  Speaker 1: is indeed the case, what do you want to see
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  Speaker 1: from the Northern Territory government.
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  Speaker 2: Well, in August of last year, Katie, they committed in
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  Speaker 2: writing to us to really make this a focus of
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  Speaker 2: their government. They said they would review the sentencing legislation.
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  Speaker 2: They undertook a review and a manity sentence mandatory sentencing generally.
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  Speaker 2: But they committed, through the police and through the Commissioner
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  Speaker 2: to us to making this a priority of their government.
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  Speaker 2: And since that time, we've had one meeting in September
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  Speaker 2: last year, and nothing else has progressed, no further discussions
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  Speaker 2: at all. So it clearly isn't a priority. And yet
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  Speaker 2: every day we're seeing some really violent attacks on our
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  Speaker 2: members out there. The police are putting their lives on
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  Speaker 2: the line every day, copying broken ribs, getting their hair
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  Speaker 2: pulled out, being punched and spat at. So let's make
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  Speaker 2: this a priority. If you're not going to support the
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  Speaker 2: seal Pee legislation, then I urge the new Chief Minister
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  Speaker 2: and the Minister to sit down and really say this
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  Speaker 2: will be a priority and this is what we're intending
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  Speaker 2: to do.
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  Speaker 1: Well, when you talk about those thirty seven assaults over
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  Speaker 1: the last thirty seven days, what kind of injury have
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  Speaker 1: some of those police officers sustained.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, they've sadly a whole range of attacks on
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  Speaker 2: our officers, from being punched to the stomach, arms, the
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  Speaker 2: body of the head. One female member had chunks of
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  Speaker 2: her hair pulled out. We've we've seen several members received
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  Speaker 2: kicks to the knees and legs. You know, one member
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  Speaker 2: ended up with a broken rib, I mean, attacked with
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  Speaker 2: tree branches, metal, walking sticks, I mean, you name it.
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  Speaker 2: It's happening out there every single day. They're being targeted
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  Speaker 2: in our springs by use with vehicles. You know, there's
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  Speaker 2: been some really dangerous situations down there over the last
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  Speaker 2: few weeks where some of our hard working you know,
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  Speaker 2: Operations Strike Force Viper members have been attacked. So you know,
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  Speaker 2: this is this is serious stuff. This is this is
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  Speaker 2: everyone has a right to be safe in their workplaces
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  Speaker 2: and right now many of our officers don't feel that way.
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  Speaker 1: Now over the weekend, and you did touch on this
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  Speaker 1: just a moment ago that we also know that rocks
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  Speaker 1: were thrown at police cars during that large community disturbance
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  Speaker 1: involving around three hundred people in what air? How are
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  Speaker 1: the officers in what air right now? During what has
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  Speaker 1: been weeks of unreasd and writing.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, look, it's a pretty volatile situation out there, and
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  Speaker 2: it has been over history, sadly, but you know, right
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  Speaker 2: now they're doing it really tough because you know, they
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  Speaker 2: feel like they're under attack. They're doing everything they can
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  Speaker 2: out there, and I know, you know there are some
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  Speaker 2: very experienced senior executive officers working on this, you know
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  Speaker 2: as we speak, and I know they're working hard with
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  Speaker 2: that community to try and quell that violence. But when
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  Speaker 2: it turns violent, and it turns violent against police, that
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  Speaker 2: is an absolute no go zone, and members of senior
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  Speaker 2: members of that community need to really stand up and
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  Speaker 2: say no, we need to come up with alternate solutions
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  Speaker 2: and violence. But right now, all we're seeing is violence,
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  Speaker 2: and it's really sad. Paul.
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  Speaker 1: What kind of penalties do you think that people should
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  Speaker 1: be facing if they assault a police officer or a
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  Speaker 1: frontline worker.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, well, it's obviously right now. The Sentencing Act has
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  Speaker 2: provisions for people where they've committed multiple assaults or first
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  Speaker 2: to second offenses. What we want to see is if
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  Speaker 2: you are going to commit any harm against the police officer,
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  Speaker 2: if you're going to punch them, kick them, spit at them. Remember,
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  Speaker 2: not all injuries are physical. Some are mental, and they
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  Speaker 2: affect the mental health of people, and we want to
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  Speaker 2: make sure that there are steps in place to make
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  Speaker 2: sure those people spend some time behind bars for attacking
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  Speaker 2: the very people out there protecting us. And if we're
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  Speaker 2: not doing that, then we're failing them now.
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  Speaker 1: One thing that we are all anticipating this week is
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  Speaker 1: this portfolio reshuffle or certainly we're expecting to see some
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  Speaker 1: changes within the Northern Territory's cabinet. We know that the
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  Speaker 1: Police Minister, Nicole Madison has indeed been reappointed as the
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  Speaker 1: Deputy Chief Minister. No word at this stage as to
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  Speaker 1: whether she will remain the Police Minister. What do you
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  Speaker 1: think should happen here?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, well, obviously, you know, when Labor came in the government,
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  Speaker 2: the former Chief Minister committed to holding the police portfolio
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  Speaker 2: and that traditionally has been the case, and Michael Gunner
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  Speaker 2: did do that for the initial eighteen months, but then
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  Speaker 2: handed it very quickly and without reason to Nicole Madison
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  Speaker 2: and we've worked very closely with the Minister since then
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  Speaker 2: on trying to resolve many of the issues that police
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  Speaker 2: are facing out there every day. It will be interesting
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  Speaker 2: to see whether the new Chief Minister wants to take
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  Speaker 2: that portfolio back. We have no indication at this stage
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  Speaker 2: if that's the case. Regardless of who takes that portfolio, Katie,
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  Speaker 2: there are some big issues facing police and we will
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  Speaker 2: absolutely be from center with the current minister, or if
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  Speaker 2: there's a new Minister for Police with that particular individual
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  Speaker 2: to highlight those concerns. From our perspective, do you.
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  Speaker 1: Think, given the importance and the prominence of that portfolio,
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  Speaker 1: that it does need to fall with the new chief Minister.
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  Speaker 2: We've always made that the case. We've our positions always
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  Speaker 2: been that the Chief Minister should hold the police portfolio.
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  Speaker 2: It gives it the sense of importance, It needs crime
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  Speaker 2: and policing issues front and center for our community, and
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  Speaker 2: you know it should sit with the Chief Minister. But
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  Speaker 2: of course that's not the decision we make. And as
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  Speaker 2: I said, if it remains with the current Minister, then
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  Speaker 2: we will continue to work with her on the many
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  Speaker 2: issues you know are out there right now.
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  Speaker 1: Well, it does seem as though at the moment though
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  Speaker 1: there are a lot of issues for our Northern Territory police.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, you and I have just talked through all
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  Speaker 1: those issues. When it comes to assaults on frontline workers,
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  Speaker 1: we spoke last week about those attrition rates getting up
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  Speaker 1: to eleven percent, on track to reach eleven percent this
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  Speaker 1: year comparatively to previous years when it would have been
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  Speaker 1: five or six percent. We've also spoken at length about
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  Speaker 1: the concerns around mental health within the Northern Territory Police Force.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, if we are now six years in and
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  Speaker 1: these issues are not any better, can we really expect
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  Speaker 1: that the current Police Minister is able to make some change.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, well, I guess that's a million dollar question. I mean,
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  Speaker 2: right now, our police are feeling very vulnerable. They are
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  Speaker 2: putting in enormous amounts of effort and work just to
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  Speaker 2: make ends meet, just to make sure there's a rosters field,
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  Speaker 2: and they're working enormous amount of overtime, some ridiculous amounts
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  Speaker 2: of overtime. It is not conducive to their mental health
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  Speaker 2: and their well being at all. And of course we've
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  Speaker 2: raised this with the Minister on several occasions. And you know,
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  Speaker 2: if people are having a lot of sick leave, if
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  Speaker 2: there are people are out there that are feeling unwell
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  Speaker 2: and need time off, we need to find out why
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  Speaker 2: are there so many people having that time off. And
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  Speaker 2: they're very important issues that we'll be raising with the minister.
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  Speaker 1: Last week we did have on the show former Northern
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  Speaker 1: Territory Police officer Paul Milne. He is essentially calling for
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  Speaker 1: an overhaul of mental health services following the very tragic
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  Speaker 1: situations that we've seen within the Northern Territory Police Force
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  Speaker 1: in recent months. Paul, again, I know you and I
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  Speaker 1: have spoken about this on a few different occasions, but
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  Speaker 1: it does seem as though something needs to urgently change
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  Speaker 1: in this space.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah. Look, our position has been very clear on this
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  Speaker 2: for many years, Katie. We have called on the government
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  Speaker 2: to undertake this independent review into support and well being
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  Speaker 2: of our police officers and the police force itself. We
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  Speaker 2: know for many years and not a lot was done
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  Speaker 2: in that space. We now under the former commissioner, there
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  Speaker 2: were some steps taken, but you know, there's a whole
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  Speaker 2: lot more that needs to be done. And you know,
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  Speaker 2: we're in a situation at the moment we don't have
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  Speaker 2: a chaplain in our springs, our well being and health
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  Speaker 2: officer is about to move on to another career step
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  Speaker 2: and not replaced yet. I mean, there are things that
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  Speaker 2: can be done today to make sure we're in front
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  Speaker 2: of the game and it's not happening. And you know,
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  Speaker 2: obviously we're waiting on the review recommendations to formally be
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  Speaker 2: released and at that point we will have more to
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  Speaker 2: say in terms of what we would like to see
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  Speaker 2: happen for our members of the police force, not just
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  Speaker 2: the current serving we see we need to make sure
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  Speaker 2: once they leave the police force they're also cared for.
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  Speaker 1: Paul Overnight, we know that that legislation changed, which will
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  Speaker 1: mean that there is going to be alcohol in remote communities.
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  Speaker 1: What do you feel this means for our police officers
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  Speaker 1: in those remote communities.
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  Speaker 2: Well, it's really disappointing that this was pushed through against
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  Speaker 2: a whole bunch of concerned organizations and representative bodies that
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  Speaker 2: really just wanted to sit down with government and find
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  Speaker 2: out what they've undertaken. Following the Riley Review in twenty seventeen,
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  Speaker 2: where there was a whole lot of recommendations around this
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  Speaker 2: particular issue, including consult consultation, and we're now going to
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  Speaker 2: see many of the town camps in our springs, for example,
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  Speaker 2: freely allow alcohol through those communities. This is about saving
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  Speaker 2: lives and of course when we allow alcohol freely in
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  Speaker 2: our community as we have many many years ago, the
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  Speaker 2: impact on policing is significant. We're talking about our police
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  Speaker 2: being under attack. Now. We've got many concerned remote officers
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  Speaker 2: who have flagged this with me for many many weeks.
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  Speaker 2: They are very concerned, particularly in some of our remote communities.
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  Speaker 2: Now the springs of what this is going to mean
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  Speaker 2: out there in the community, and of course police are
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  Speaker 2: at the raw end of that.
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  Speaker 1: Do you think that we're going to see sort of immediate,
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  Speaker 1: you know, changes immediately once that legislation passes and once
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  Speaker 1: we get to that date, or do you think that
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  Speaker 1: it's something that's going to sort of happen progressively.
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  Speaker 2: I don't think it will take long. I mean, it
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  Speaker 2: won't take long for people to realize that, you know,
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  Speaker 2: those laws have changed, you know, alcohol will be allowed
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  Speaker 2: in many of those communities. And as I've said, this
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  Speaker 2: is something that will be detrimental to all the work
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  Speaker 2: that's supposedly been undertaken in terms of reducing our correlated harm.
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  Speaker 2: This will very much go against the grain of that,
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  Speaker 2: and the impact on policing will be significant, I've no doubt.
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  Speaker 1: Well, Police Association Sident Paul McHugh, we always appreciate your time.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you very much for speaking with me this morning.
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  Speaker 2: Thanks Kertie.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you. You are listening to Mix one O four
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  Speaker 1: nine's three sixty. If you'd like to call through this
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  Speaker 1: morning eight nine four one one O four nine,