1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,000 Speaker 1: If we know that there has been quite a bit 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:04,800 Speaker 1: of work going on within the Northern Territory Police on 3 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: a lot of different things, but there was an update 4 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:10,840 Speaker 1: earlier in the week on the Tony Brow case. And 5 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:13,320 Speaker 1: joining us in the studio right now is the Acting 6 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 1: Deputy Commissioner, Michael Wish. 7 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:17,160 Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Good morning, Katie. 8 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for your time this morning now, 9 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 1: Acting Deputy Commissioner. We know earlier in the week there 10 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 1: was a press conference held in a bit of an 11 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 1: update on the situation with the disappearance of Tony Row. 12 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: Can you talk us through where that's at. 13 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, certainly so. 14 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 3: With the ongoing work that police were doing with a 15 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:38,239 Speaker 3: number of stakeholders and information provided by the public, we 16 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:41,479 Speaker 3: were able to set up a crime scene last Friday 17 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:45,639 Speaker 3: afternoon south of Dewhen, acting on information that there may 18 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 3: be human remains there. A search conducted identified both human 19 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 3: remains and other evidence that were located and we strongly 20 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 3: believe that the remains are that of Tony and whilst 21 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 3: that's still been confirmed through DNA analysis, we're very confident 22 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 3: that it's Tony and as part of that process, we've 23 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 3: been engaging with his mother and sister, and they're well 24 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 3: aware of where we're at with the investigation. 25 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:13,840 Speaker 1: And when do you anticipate that you will have that 26 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 1: absolute confirmation. 27 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, Look, the analysis it self takes a couple of days, 28 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:21,119 Speaker 3: so hopefully by the end of the week we should 29 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 3: have an outcome to confirm. But certainly, you know, we 30 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:29,319 Speaker 3: were doing everything we can to prioritize that analysis. 31 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 1: And as a result, I understand that one of the 32 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: charges has been upgraded as well, hasn't ith. 33 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's right, So the twenty nine year old male 34 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 3: offender has been further charged now with the offensive murder 35 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 3: in relation to that. So, I mean, one thing to 36 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 3: critically say is that there is pretty much one year 37 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 3: and one day to the day that he went missing 38 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 3: that we found his remains, and the dedication and effort 39 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 3: by all the people involved is nothing but outstanding to 40 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 3: be so committed to identify find him at this point. 41 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 4: Yeah, well done to the Northern Territory Police. 42 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 1: And I think, just like we've touched on last week, 43 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 1: to be able to provide hopefully that closure to the family, 44 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 1: you know, it must be after what has been a 45 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: terrible situation for them, at least a small amount of closure. 46 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure. 47 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: Now, Acting Deputy Commissioner, I do want to ask you 48 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:25,640 Speaker 1: about the situation in Catherine, because we'd reported on Friday 49 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:30,399 Speaker 1: a number of businesses had been impacted by crime, rock throwing, vandalism. 50 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 1: We are hearing that there's youths that are doing the 51 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:37,080 Speaker 1: wrong thing on the street, throwing rocks at vehicles and 52 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 1: all sorts of different things. 53 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:41,079 Speaker 4: Where are things at from a police perspective. 54 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:43,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, the update I can give is that you know, 55 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 3: certainly there has been a problem with young people in 56 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 3: the community for a few weeks, had similar reports of 57 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 3: rock throwing, both in the last week and the week before, 58 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 3: around nineteen reports of that. There were unlawful entries last 59 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 3: week Catherine, obviously most of those in the business district, 60 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 3: and of course that is very much open to the 61 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 3: main street. So it is right, really and understandably concerning 62 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 3: for the community. So we've identified and apprehended the people 63 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 3: involved in those their age between eleven and thirteen years old. 64 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 3: As a result of those early interventions, some of those 65 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 3: young people actually went to those businesses they impacted on, 66 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 3: and early diversion type processes that have actually assisted with 67 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 3: the cleanup provided their reasoning to the victims, and the 68 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 3: victims also had the opportunity to give them feedback about 69 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 3: the impact on them, which is a really critical thing 70 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 3: from an early intervention perspective. And some of those young 71 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 3: people now have been taken into care or returned to 72 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 3: family in other locations as part of that. 73 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 4: It's such a difficult situation. 74 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: We've spoken to some of those victims on Friday and 75 00:03:56,480 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: it was pretty heartbreaking for some of them exactly what 76 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 1: they'd gone through. And you know, I think that that 77 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: is a good thing for, you know, for those kids 78 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: to have to sort of face up to those who 79 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 1: they've committed crimes against to gain a better understanding. 80 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 4: Do you reckon it'll make a difference. 81 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: I know there's lots of people going where's their parents 82 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 1: or where you know, where are their caregivers stopping them 83 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 1: from engaging in this behavior. 84 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, look, that's always a challenge. 85 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:25,880 Speaker 3: We certainly know that Teritory Families is working with us 86 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:29,480 Speaker 3: to assist in the process of that and of engaging 87 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:32,159 Speaker 3: with family and making sure that everything is in place 88 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 3: to make sure the care is provided to the young people, 89 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 3: you know, and that's always a challenge. We're dealing with 90 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:44,599 Speaker 3: people who obviously got their own personal issues potentially that 91 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:47,159 Speaker 3: impact on their ability to care for their own children. 92 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 3: So that is a really big issue for all people 93 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:52,240 Speaker 3: in that situation. 94 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 1: So do we know if they were local kids or 95 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: were they there from other locations a combination? 96 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 3: So yeah, certainly one who was living with his mother 97 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:06,599 Speaker 3: in Catherine. Another one was a visitor, we believe, And 98 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 3: you know, that's again often what happens, and it's the 99 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:15,279 Speaker 3: same in other communities or major towns in the territory 100 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:19,040 Speaker 3: where people come into the major centers for services and 101 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 3: occasionally this is what happens, is young people or others 102 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:23,719 Speaker 3: do do the wrong thing. 103 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:28,160 Speaker 1: The community of Catherine does seem really very upset by 104 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 1: what is going on, you know, particularly some of those 105 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 1: business owners who've been severely impacted by that behavior. Is 106 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 1: there going to be additional police resources sent to the 107 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:42,360 Speaker 1: town or is there going to be an additional focus 108 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 1: from the Northern Territory Police on Catherine. 109 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:49,720 Speaker 3: Yes, So what I can say is Deputy Murray Smallpage 110 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 3: was in Catherine yesterday meeting with stakeholders and engaged with 111 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 3: some of the community and particularly met with the MLA 112 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:02,279 Speaker 3: Joehersey and talked about what police can do. As a 113 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:05,400 Speaker 3: result of that meeting and some other work, police are 114 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 3: actually focused on an operation commencing yesterday and it's going 115 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 3: until the fourteenth of June. It's called Operation Timis and 116 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:19,479 Speaker 3: it's focusing on extra resources from Darwen General Duties, the 117 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 3: traffic units and Mounted Police going down to focus on 118 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 3: engagement and high profile policing patrolling to reassure the community 119 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:31,359 Speaker 3: and also to circubreak the issues that have been going 120 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:35,039 Speaker 3: on in the community and provide that reassurance to everyone. 121 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: Now, I know this isn't a police issue, but I 122 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 1: know a lot of people listening going to be thinking 123 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 1: to themselves, how in a situation we'rein on a Friday morning. 124 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:45,240 Speaker 1: You know, you've got kids that are engaged in this 125 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:48,920 Speaker 1: behavior and they're not at school, and so then I 126 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:54,919 Speaker 1: guess it is that sort of into departmental working together 127 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 1: to make sure that the education department is also making 128 00:06:57,800 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 1: sure that they are going to school. 129 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:02,479 Speaker 3: Look, that's one of the things, and that certainly is 130 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 3: a focus. So the Big Rivers Tasking and Coordination Group, 131 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 3: which is across multi agency engagement, they come together and 132 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 3: discuss these particular issues and work out coordinated response to 133 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 3: these Education and other departments are part to that, and 134 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:24,160 Speaker 3: the Council and a few other non government stakeholders are involved, 135 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:27,239 Speaker 3: and that really is about information sharing and problem solving 136 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 3: to work through these issues. 137 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: Now, Acting Deputy Commissioner, we also we received a statement 138 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:36,280 Speaker 1: from the Northern Territory Police just a short time ago 139 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 1: that the police have charged three youths with multiple property 140 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:43,560 Speaker 1: offenses following an incident on a bus in Molden on Sunday. 141 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: So Strikeforce trident investigations have identified two fourteen year old 142 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:52,440 Speaker 1: boys involved in the bus assault, who were also involved 143 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:55,560 Speaker 1: in two incidents of trespass and property damage at two 144 00:07:55,640 --> 00:08:00,360 Speaker 1: separate locations the day prior. Also an eleven old, i 145 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:02,720 Speaker 1: should say, is going to be dealt with under the 146 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:07,080 Speaker 1: provisions of the Youth Justice Act. Yesterday we caught up 147 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 1: with the union that represents bus drivers who said that Katie, 148 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:13,640 Speaker 1: some days it is like a war zone on the 149 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 1: public bus network with some of the issues that we're 150 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 1: dealing with. I've no doubt that it is something that 151 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 1: the Northern Territory Police are keeping a close eye on. 152 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly. 153 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:27,520 Speaker 3: So again, so Transport Safety Offices are part of the 154 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:31,400 Speaker 3: Patroller's network. Meetings that we have in Darwen, and it 155 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:34,400 Speaker 3: really is a focus on ensuring that we again share 156 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 3: information with each other be able to come up to 157 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 3: it with a collective solution. 158 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 2: So we're working very closely. 159 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:46,240 Speaker 3: With Transport and DIPPLE particularly around how we can coordinate 160 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:46,960 Speaker 3: better around that. 161 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:49,880 Speaker 2: And you know, that's a really key thing. 162 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:53,280 Speaker 3: And you know, it's certainly imagine that for the people 163 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 3: that were on the bus and the driver, it was 164 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:58,959 Speaker 3: obviously a situation that caused them some concern. 165 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 1: Have we seen an increase in bad behavior on our 166 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 1: bus network from a policing. 167 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 3: Perspective, Nothing to me that seems like it's worse than 168 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:11,600 Speaker 3: it was. But I mean, certainly I can think that 169 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 3: anyone that's impacted by any unruly behavior on buses is 170 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:17,920 Speaker 3: certainly concerning for them. 171 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 4: Now, before I let you go this morning, I do 172 00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:21,880 Speaker 4: want to just ask you. 173 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 1: I know there's well, potentially we did talk about some 174 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:27,720 Speaker 1: of the knife crime and some of the work that 175 00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:29,679 Speaker 1: the Northern Territory Police are doing when it comes to 176 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:32,040 Speaker 1: knife crime. Has there been any update at this point 177 00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 1: or is that work still happening behind the scenes. 178 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:37,920 Speaker 2: We are continuing to work through that process. 179 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 3: We're working with the Attorney General's Department around potential legislative 180 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:48,840 Speaker 3: reform to give us greater power to search for edge weapons. 181 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:53,040 Speaker 3: That's particularly in line with what Queensland's done with the 182 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 3: Jack's Law. So we're reviewing that process at the moment, 183 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 3: and that may give us the ability to use metal 184 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:03,480 Speaker 3: detect is in certain areas declared areas that will allow 185 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:06,200 Speaker 3: us to search people if we believe they might be 186 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:06,920 Speaker 3: carrying a weapon. 187 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:11,120 Speaker 1: Acting Deputy Commissioner Michael White, appreciate your time this morning, 188 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 1: Appreciate you making yourself available to us regularly. 189 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:15,640 Speaker 4: Thank you very much for coming into the studio on 190 00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:16,440 Speaker 4: having your chat today. 191 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 2: Thanks Katie, thank you.