1
00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,800
Speaker 1: You're listening to Mix one oh four point nine's three sixty. Now,

2
00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:05,800
Speaker 1: there have been quite a few issues that we've been

3
00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:09,119
Speaker 1: keen to cover off on with the police, Minister Nicole Manison,

4
00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:12,520
Speaker 1: and I'm joined I'm pleased to say that I'm joined

5
00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:14,120
Speaker 1: by her on the show this morning.

6
00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:15,680
Speaker 2: Good morning, Minister.

7
00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:17,360
Speaker 3: Good morning Katie.

8
00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:17,880
Speaker 2: Minister.

9
00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:19,960
Speaker 1: I might start with the topic which has been high

10
00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:23,720
Speaker 1: on the agenda for some time now, youth crime. Just

11
00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:26,599
Speaker 1: yesterday police revealed that they're on the hunt for two

12
00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:30,319
Speaker 1: teenagers who allegedly robbed and assaulted an employee at a

13
00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:33,320
Speaker 1: store in Catherine. On Monday, we heard of an eighty

14
00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:37,440
Speaker 1: year old woman having her bag stolen from inside Casarina

15
00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:38,760
Speaker 1: by a fifteen year old.

16
00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:41,160
Speaker 2: Last week in Alice Springs.

17
00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:43,400
Speaker 1: A man in his sixties had his wallet stolen before

18
00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:46,360
Speaker 1: being knocked to the ground, and two older women were

19
00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:49,360
Speaker 1: targeted by teens in Alice, one of those at an

20
00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:53,280
Speaker 1: eighty m Minister, is it as clear to you as

21
00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:56,279
Speaker 1: it seems to be two other Territorians that we've got

22
00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:59,240
Speaker 1: a real issue right now in the NT with some

23
00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:03,080
Speaker 1: young peace who've got no regard for others or the law.

24
00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:06,280
Speaker 3: So I think you've put it right there, how you

25
00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:09,080
Speaker 3: said some young people. We've got about two hundred and

26
00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:11,280
Speaker 3: fifty thousand people in the Northern Territory and we do

27
00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,399
Speaker 3: have youths that do absolutely the wrong thing. And in

28
00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:17,360
Speaker 3: this case, these youths have completely done the wrong thing.

29
00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:20,360
Speaker 3: I'm glad to say that police in most of these

30
00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:25,000
Speaker 3: cases have caught these offenders. They're dealing with these offenders,

31
00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,240
Speaker 3: but it is totally unacceptable what they have done. It's

32
00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:30,360
Speaker 3: important to remember there are a lot of good kids

33
00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,520
Speaker 3: out there. Most kids are good. However, those that do

34
00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:35,880
Speaker 3: fall into the pathway of crime, they're either got to

35
00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:38,240
Speaker 3: face consequences for their actions or if we think we

36
00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:39,840
Speaker 3: can turn them around, we're going to try to turn

37
00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:40,320
Speaker 3: them around.

38
00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:42,360
Speaker 1: Do you reckon some of these kids or some of

39
00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,560
Speaker 1: these young people at the moment are targeting our seniors.

40
00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:49,520
Speaker 3: I was not impressed over the last two weeks to

41
00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:52,680
Speaker 3: see that we've had a few incidents in our springs

42
00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:54,520
Speaker 3: and also to see the one that happened at Casarine

43
00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:57,520
Speaker 3: earlier this week, which was probably the most despicable act.

44
00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:02,120
Speaker 3: When young people target the vulnerable, olderly people. Again, they

45
00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:04,400
Speaker 3: are being dealt with, but you know, I think they're

46
00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:08,280
Speaker 3: just being very opportunistic. It's weak, it's pathetic. It is

47
00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:11,000
Speaker 3: a really low and scumming thing to do when you

48
00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:13,760
Speaker 3: go and target a vulnerable elderly person.

49
00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:16,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, I can't think of anything much worse, to be

50
00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:19,400
Speaker 1: honest with you, Like you said, it's low. It doesn't

51
00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:22,880
Speaker 1: get much lower. I don't think, Minister cletely agree.

52
00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:25,480
Speaker 3: It just makes my blood boil, Katie when I think

53
00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:29,600
Speaker 3: about my own grandparents, people that are older in my electorate,

54
00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:31,520
Speaker 3: and to think of people doing that, so you know,

55
00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:34,640
Speaker 3: they are dealt with through through the consequences that are

56
00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,080
Speaker 3: in place, but you know it's completely unacceptable.

57
00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:37,800
Speaker 2: Minister.

58
00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:40,200
Speaker 1: It's clear that this is a complex issue. I think

59
00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:43,280
Speaker 1: that we all understand that. And last night we know

60
00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:45,080
Speaker 1: that there was a fifteen year old who had to

61
00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:49,840
Speaker 1: be taken into custody intoxicated after spitting on police. The

62
00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:52,280
Speaker 1: police says she didn't have family to care for her.

63
00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:56,440
Speaker 1: In another incident, a seventeen year old was stabbed in

64
00:02:56,520 --> 00:03:01,160
Speaker 1: what's been described as a domestic dispute in Karama. Minister,

65
00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:03,960
Speaker 1: we've heard from the Chief Minister, the Attorney General and

66
00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:07,040
Speaker 1: others on your team that generational change is what is

67
00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:09,919
Speaker 1: needed in this space, but it's very clear that there

68
00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:12,320
Speaker 1: needs to be some kind of stop gap right now.

69
00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:15,040
Speaker 1: Is it a priority for you as a police minister

70
00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:16,880
Speaker 1: or do you think that people just need to be

71
00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,240
Speaker 1: confident with the changes that the government which you're part of,

72
00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:21,720
Speaker 1: are trying to implement.

73
00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,320
Speaker 3: Well, there are the short term measures in place, the

74
00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:28,440
Speaker 3: medium term and the long term. That's when you start

75
00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:31,840
Speaker 3: talking about generational change. That's fifteen year old story. I

76
00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:34,200
Speaker 3: haven't been briefed up on the full story there, but

77
00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:36,119
Speaker 3: from what I've seen in the media, I was quite

78
00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:38,880
Speaker 3: alarming to see that they couldn't find someone responsible to

79
00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:41,360
Speaker 3: take care of them. There's a lot about the situation

80
00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:44,360
Speaker 3: that they're in and seventeen year olds, you know, they're

81
00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:48,200
Speaker 3: practically adults. They can you know, to hear that they're

82
00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:51,800
Speaker 3: in a domestic dispute and weapons are involved, also very

83
00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:55,119
Speaker 3: very concerning. But make no mistake, Katie, the short term

84
00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:57,240
Speaker 3: work that we're doing is making sure we've got more

85
00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:00,000
Speaker 3: police resources out there to deal with those of thes,

86
00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:02,400
Speaker 3: just to catch them and make sure that they get

87
00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:05,440
Speaker 3: put through the system of consequences or if we think

88
00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:07,560
Speaker 3: that they can be turned around, like I said, go

89
00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:09,840
Speaker 3: through a process where we can get them on a

90
00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,320
Speaker 3: better pathway in life that we put them through some

91
00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:15,240
Speaker 3: of those programs too, if their offending does not require

92
00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:18,360
Speaker 3: some of those more serious ends or the consequences in

93
00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:18,840
Speaker 3: the system.

94
00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:21,599
Speaker 1: Minister, bail laws have been a topic that everyone wants

95
00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:23,800
Speaker 1: to talk about, and it seems to you know, it

96
00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:25,880
Speaker 1: seems as though most people think that it would make

97
00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:28,920
Speaker 1: a difference if there were changes in this space.

98
00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:31,560
Speaker 2: Why aren't you changing the bail laws.

99
00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:34,760
Speaker 3: I get people feel that way, but I think it's

100
00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:37,520
Speaker 3: important to recognize that if somebody's on bail, a crime

101
00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:39,960
Speaker 3: has already been committed. So we're trying to focus on

102
00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:42,400
Speaker 3: preventing the crime and making sure that we've got those

103
00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:47,120
Speaker 3: consequences in the system. But again, there are consequences in

104
00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:50,040
Speaker 3: place if people go and if they don't do the

105
00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:52,320
Speaker 3: right thing whilst they're on bail. So if they do

106
00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:55,479
Speaker 3: something serious whilst they're on bail, and some one to remember,

107
00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:57,320
Speaker 3: they committed a crime already in the first place, so

108
00:04:57,320 --> 00:04:59,520
Speaker 3: they're already in the system. But if they go on

109
00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:02,560
Speaker 3: committing a whilst on bail, or break their conditions and bail,

110
00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:05,120
Speaker 3: there are consequences for that too. There are consequences in

111
00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:09,400
Speaker 3: place in the system. We're improving electronic monitoring, We're doing

112
00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:11,920
Speaker 3: work around making sure that we've got better compliance in

113
00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:14,960
Speaker 3: place as well around those bail conditions. So there are

114
00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:17,520
Speaker 3: efforts there already cating as well.

115
00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:19,919
Speaker 2: With those electronic monitoring bracelets.

116
00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:21,839
Speaker 1: How many of those are being used at the moment

117
00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:24,120
Speaker 1: and why did it seem as though there were not

118
00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:25,520
Speaker 1: very many of them being used?

119
00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:27,440
Speaker 2: I think there was one last financial year.

120
00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:30,919
Speaker 3: I don't have the numbers in front of me at

121
00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:32,760
Speaker 3: the moment, Katie, but what I will say is that

122
00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:36,640
Speaker 3: technology changes. What we had in place five years ago,

123
00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:38,960
Speaker 3: ten years ago was very different to the technology that

124
00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:41,159
Speaker 3: we have today. And we've just put in place a

125
00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:45,520
Speaker 3: new contractor with small bracelets, better devices, and better monitoring

126
00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:48,480
Speaker 3: and tracking. So that's also going to go Somewhay, I.

127
00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:51,039
Speaker 1: Just want to go back to that bail legislation. The

128
00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:54,640
Speaker 1: police commissioner recently said that seventy five percent of offenders

129
00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:57,760
Speaker 1: in Alice and Tenant are recidivist defenders.

130
00:05:57,880 --> 00:05:59,719
Speaker 2: There is a presumption of bail.

131
00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:02,200
Speaker 1: Why do you think that it wouldn't work if we

132
00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:04,240
Speaker 1: were to make some changes in this space? So sort

133
00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:05,920
Speaker 1: of I guess I'm trying to wrap my head around,

134
00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:07,479
Speaker 1: and I know a lot of our listeners will be

135
00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:10,840
Speaker 1: as well. Why the government is so opposed to making

136
00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:14,040
Speaker 1: any change with this, you know, this legislation.

137
00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:18,360
Speaker 3: So again, if somebody's committed a crime serious enough, they're

138
00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,520
Speaker 3: not going to get bailed, Katie. They considered their prior

139
00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:24,400
Speaker 3: criminal history when they look at whether or not somebody

140
00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:26,440
Speaker 3: gets bail. It's not an automatic at all.

141
00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:28,360
Speaker 2: Okay.

142
00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:29,960
Speaker 1: I just want to take you to a message that

143
00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:32,120
Speaker 1: we received from a listener a little bit earlier today,

144
00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:35,720
Speaker 1: and it says that at seven point thirty last night

145
00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:38,160
Speaker 1: in Alice Springs in the hospital main car park, there

146
00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:43,039
Speaker 1: were multiple cars with damage, windows smashed, ransacked, white paint

147
00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:46,880
Speaker 1: thrown on cars and they were drawn on with black

148
00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:50,760
Speaker 1: markers as well. Apparently the damage has been done by

149
00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:52,880
Speaker 1: kids that look no older than twelve or.

150
00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:56,160
Speaker 2: Thirteen years old. It is being said.

151
00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:59,279
Speaker 1: That police caught two of them staff coming out of

152
00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:02,640
Speaker 1: hospital to this horrible scene and stuff that go out

153
00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:06,440
Speaker 1: of their way obviously to look after people. I mean,

154
00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:11,200
Speaker 1: it just I guess it really just demonstrates again you know,

155
00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:13,560
Speaker 1: why the heck have we got twelve and thirteen year

156
00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:16,239
Speaker 1: olds out on the street at night time?

157
00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:18,360
Speaker 2: And in a position where they can even do this.

158
00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:22,680
Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't. I think you answer that question as

159
00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:25,680
Speaker 3: well in clearly pointing to the families, like, you know,

160
00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:28,120
Speaker 3: a twelve and thirteen year old would not be out

161
00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:30,600
Speaker 3: of my sight as a parent. But clearly there's a

162
00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:33,360
Speaker 3: pevtive dysfunction in that family group if they think it's

163
00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:36,200
Speaker 3: okay to let kids go roving on a school night

164
00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:39,240
Speaker 3: and for kids to think it's okay to go and

165
00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:41,840
Speaker 3: do these things. So I haven't been briefed up on

166
00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:45,840
Speaker 3: this event as well, Katie, So I'll certainly get some

167
00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:48,040
Speaker 3: more information on it. But there to say, we've got

168
00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:51,040
Speaker 3: stripefu fiper down there who will be, without a doubt

169
00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:54,640
Speaker 3: making sure that they're dealing with those offenders. And again

170
00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:57,840
Speaker 3: whatever CCTV, we can go build them. But you know,

171
00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:01,000
Speaker 3: twelve or thirteen they know why from wrong when it

172
00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:03,560
Speaker 3: comes to that type of vandalism. They know that's completely wrong.

173
00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:04,000
Speaker 2: Minister.

174
00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:06,240
Speaker 1: Are you getting as frustrated with this type of thing?

175
00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:08,400
Speaker 1: Is what the rest of the community are, Because I mean,

176
00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:10,200
Speaker 1: at the end of the day, the police are doing

177
00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:11,120
Speaker 1: a phenomenal job.

178
00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:11,920
Speaker 2: They always do.

179
00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:14,960
Speaker 1: They're out there, they obviously make sure that they know

180
00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:17,080
Speaker 1: that they catch people when they're doing the wrong thing,

181
00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:20,760
Speaker 1: they arrest them, but somehow this cycle just continues on.

182
00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:24,600
Speaker 3: Well, I've grown up in the Northern Territory all my life,

183
00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:27,880
Speaker 3: through going to school out here in the Northern Suburbs,

184
00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:31,320
Speaker 3: I certainly saw some pretty bloody, tough and bad youth

185
00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:32,960
Speaker 3: offenders when I went to school that used to do

186
00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:37,160
Speaker 3: some pretty horrendous thing. Crime has always been an issue,

187
00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:40,400
Speaker 3: you know, it's always a challenge. We've got people living

188
00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:43,000
Speaker 3: in poverty. But your job in government is to try

189
00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:45,080
Speaker 3: to do everything you can to turn around some of

190
00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:47,720
Speaker 3: those kids and put them on a better pathway where

191
00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:51,080
Speaker 3: you can, and that's what we are doing. But if

192
00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:53,480
Speaker 3: there are consequences in place if they do the wrong thing,

193
00:08:53,679 --> 00:08:56,640
Speaker 3: even our youth justice and our attention systems have changed rapidly.

194
00:08:56,679 --> 00:08:58,520
Speaker 3: When I was a kid that they used to ten thing.

195
00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:01,520
Speaker 3: You used to be around the corner from me, and

196
00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:04,480
Speaker 3: then it's changed location a few times. In Derriman. Now

197
00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:07,280
Speaker 3: we're building a new detention center which we think is

198
00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:09,880
Speaker 3: going to be able to give a far better rehabilitation

199
00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:12,679
Speaker 3: program for extent. But it's not an issue just unique

200
00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:15,840
Speaker 3: to the territory. It is an issue that we face everywhere,

201
00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:18,880
Speaker 3: but I get it. I live and briefing stuff every day, Kadi,

202
00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:20,640
Speaker 3: he as a local member, and now it's a policemit

203
00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:22,760
Speaker 3: of stuff. If you're a victim of crime, it is

204
00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:24,920
Speaker 3: a horrendous experience and you want to see justice in

205
00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:27,720
Speaker 3: the system. And we're trying to do things that will

206
00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:30,520
Speaker 3: prevent the crime, but also making sure that if people

207
00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:32,440
Speaker 3: are victims are crime, they feel that there's some justice

208
00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:34,240
Speaker 3: in the system and the right consequences there too.

209
00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:36,160
Speaker 1: Minister, I want to just take you to a pressure

210
00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:39,720
Speaker 1: release that came through on Monday morning. Now, the Territory

211
00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:42,520
Speaker 1: Police charged a seventeen year old man in relation to

212
00:09:42,559 --> 00:09:46,160
Speaker 1: an aggravated assault in Gray last month. Now, it is

213
00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:50,000
Speaker 1: alleged that this youth approached to Indigenous males aged forty

214
00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:53,400
Speaker 1: four and forty six and assaulted them. The youth then

215
00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:56,760
Speaker 1: posted this incident on social media. Now, I'm not sure

216
00:09:56,760 --> 00:09:59,679
Speaker 1: if you've seen the vision, but it is absolutely a

217
00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:03,160
Speaker 1: tro It makes you blood boil and it honestly makes

218
00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:06,160
Speaker 1: you feel pretty sick to the guts. Now, this youth

219
00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:09,520
Speaker 1: has been charged with two counts of aggravated assault. As

220
00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:12,640
Speaker 1: I say, the vision is appalling. He's been bailed to

221
00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:14,720
Speaker 1: appear in court on the sixteenth of.

222
00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:16,360
Speaker 2: March this year.

223
00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:20,199
Speaker 1: I guess this really exemplifies for a lot of people

224
00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:24,000
Speaker 1: those questions that they've got about how is somebody then

225
00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:28,000
Speaker 1: bailed after committing allegedly committing a crime like that?

226
00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:32,199
Speaker 3: So clearly they have a look through the different ins

227
00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:35,160
Speaker 3: and outs of what's happened there. There are a few

228
00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:38,840
Speaker 3: pathways to decision making about those bail calls. But last

229
00:10:38,920 --> 00:10:41,320
Speaker 3: number count I had was about we've got forty people,

230
00:10:41,679 --> 00:10:46,200
Speaker 3: forty young people that were in the tension, and many

231
00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:48,560
Speaker 3: of those people were on romance, so they weren't granted

232
00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:50,880
Speaker 3: bail before they went to court. So they consider a

233
00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:53,520
Speaker 3: rafter of different things in doing that, not across the

234
00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:57,000
Speaker 3: full criminal history there. Now, what I do find concerning

235
00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:00,840
Speaker 3: is that young people who think that it is to

236
00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:03,560
Speaker 3: commit crime. But the thing that really always gets me

237
00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:07,199
Speaker 3: is when people decide to post their criminal acts on Facebook,

238
00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:11,520
Speaker 3: Instagram or TikTok. It is seriously a phenomenon that I

239
00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:16,040
Speaker 3: do not understand of why people think it is intelligence

240
00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:18,120
Speaker 3: to commit crime in the first place, let alone to

241
00:11:18,280 --> 00:11:20,720
Speaker 3: post it for everybody to see on those social media

242
00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:24,319
Speaker 3: forms that certainly make the job of policing a little

243
00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:25,000
Speaker 3: bit easier.

244
00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:28,679
Speaker 1: Yeah, well, it's I don't understand it. I think it's

245
00:11:28,679 --> 00:11:33,040
Speaker 1: absolutely appalling. And like I say, that incident was absolutely appalling.

246
00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:35,160
Speaker 1: When I saw the vision, like I said, I felt

247
00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:37,840
Speaker 1: sick to the guts. And then when you see that

248
00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:40,200
Speaker 1: that young person's been bailed, I don't know what the

249
00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:42,520
Speaker 1: you know, I don't know what the process is in

250
00:11:42,559 --> 00:11:45,120
Speaker 1: determining whether somebody should be bailed or not. But I

251
00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:47,520
Speaker 1: tell you what, I'd be pretty bloody devastated if I

252
00:11:47,559 --> 00:11:50,120
Speaker 1: was a family member of either of those men who'd

253
00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:53,800
Speaker 1: been assaulted. Minister, Let's move along because I want to

254
00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:57,080
Speaker 1: talk about police numbers and resourcing. We know that COVID

255
00:11:57,120 --> 00:12:00,439
Speaker 1: management has had a big impact and meant that lows

256
00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:02,959
Speaker 1: like the watchouse in Darwin had to be closed.

257
00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:04,920
Speaker 2: When is that going to reopen.

258
00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:10,120
Speaker 3: That's a decision that is in the hands of police. Clearly,

259
00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:12,480
Speaker 3: I'd like to see it opened as soon as possible.

260
00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:15,719
Speaker 3: From operations from time to time, they are able to

261
00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:18,800
Speaker 3: run the watchhouse from peak hours, but that is something

262
00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:22,360
Speaker 3: where we're still going through backlogs of leave. We're still

263
00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:26,120
Speaker 3: dealing with the COVID nineteen response and other members doing

264
00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:29,520
Speaker 3: things related to that. But that is a decision there

265
00:12:29,559 --> 00:12:31,880
Speaker 3: with police. But you know, I've had several conversations with

266
00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:34,400
Speaker 3: the Commissioner. I respect that he has to make the

267
00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:37,040
Speaker 3: best operational decisions for the resources he's got on any

268
00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:40,120
Speaker 3: day and where the current's life or police. So looking

269
00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:42,120
Speaker 3: good to seeing it opened sooner rather than later.

270
00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:44,760
Speaker 1: So are you concerned that we don't have a watchhouse

271
00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:46,520
Speaker 1: in the city at this point in time?

272
00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:48,800
Speaker 2: That's operation I've got a watchhouse.

273
00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:52,120
Speaker 3: No, We've got a watchhouse in the dun region out

274
00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:55,240
Speaker 3: there in Palmerston, so we've got a very good watchhouse there.

275
00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:58,320
Speaker 3: But from time to time when they've run operations, we'll

276
00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:00,680
Speaker 3: know that they're going to have peak time they have

277
00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:03,440
Speaker 3: opened it. So it's about making sure it's open on

278
00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:06,240
Speaker 3: a no on going basis. That's where we're working forward.

279
00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:08,560
Speaker 1: So you're not concerned at all about some of those

280
00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:11,320
Speaker 1: response times given the fact that we you know, we

281
00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:14,400
Speaker 1: obviously don't have the operational watchhouse here in the city

282
00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:15,000
Speaker 1: at the moment.

283
00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:19,079
Speaker 3: Clearly, like I said, I would like to see the

284
00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:22,400
Speaker 3: watchhouse opened, but we need to make sure that they've

285
00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:24,960
Speaker 3: got all the resourcing to do it. Watchhouses aren't as

286
00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:27,199
Speaker 3: simple as having a few police officers there. You've got

287
00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:30,880
Speaker 3: to have several layers of police in the system there,

288
00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:33,360
Speaker 3: auxiliaries and nurse and so forth. So it is the

289
00:13:33,559 --> 00:13:37,080
Speaker 3: resource in tents. So the commissioners advising me as soon

290
00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:38,840
Speaker 3: as you can get it over, going to get it open.

291
00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:40,680
Speaker 2: All right, So do we have enough police?

292
00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:42,400
Speaker 1: I mean, if we're in a situation where we can't

293
00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:44,840
Speaker 1: actually have the watchhouse operational at this point in time,

294
00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:45,880
Speaker 1: it sounds like we don't.

295
00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:50,520
Speaker 3: We've got police doing a rafter different jobs, Katie and

296
00:13:50,559 --> 00:13:53,800
Speaker 3: Micah said, some jobs that we traditionally don't do. College.

297
00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:56,680
Speaker 3: I've got a god graduating this month and next month,

298
00:13:56,720 --> 00:13:58,560
Speaker 3: and I think we've got another one coming out in May.

299
00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:03,000
Speaker 3: We're putting record numbers of police on so we're working

300
00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:06,160
Speaker 3: as hard as we can towards it. Like I said,

301
00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:09,600
Speaker 3: it's been a really unusual twelve months. Police have had

302
00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:11,600
Speaker 3: to go serve in all different parts of the territory

303
00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:14,079
Speaker 3: doing all sorts of different things. And we also had

304
00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:16,640
Speaker 3: our police sacrificing not going on leave. Sometimes it's even

305
00:14:16,679 --> 00:14:18,320
Speaker 3: be able to get catch up with some of their leads.

306
00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:21,600
Speaker 1: Then, all right, talking school based constables. How many are

307
00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:22,960
Speaker 1: back in schools at the moment.

308
00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:27,240
Speaker 3: Last advice I had was four, So we brought back

309
00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:30,200
Speaker 3: to school based policing after the CLP has scrapped it,

310
00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:33,480
Speaker 3: so we had ten going out to schools across the territory.

311
00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:36,160
Speaker 3: We're back at four term two. We're looking to have

312
00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:40,480
Speaker 3: that model certainly pretty much so back to where it was,

313
00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:43,040
Speaker 3: but also we're looking to expand it. We're going to

314
00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:46,240
Speaker 3: be including auxiliaries into the model. And the reason why

315
00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:48,720
Speaker 3: we're going to include axilliaries is because I want personally

316
00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:52,800
Speaker 3: a more numbers, because it's a really popular initiative with schools.

317
00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:55,840
Speaker 3: The schools absolutely love having school based policing in there

318
00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:57,880
Speaker 3: to have that extra support and dealing with some of

319
00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:03,800
Speaker 3: their complex behaviors young people. But also when operational demands call,

320
00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:06,600
Speaker 3: for example COVID nineteen where we needed place on the

321
00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:10,200
Speaker 3: borders and that took a certain strain on some of

322
00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:13,360
Speaker 3: those resources, that an auxiliary will not be called back

323
00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:14,800
Speaker 3: out to the frontline in the same way.

324
00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:19,640
Speaker 1: So we'll have ten constables in the schools eventually, and

325
00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:22,520
Speaker 1: then there's going to be additional axilliary So it's not

326
00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:25,560
Speaker 1: a situation here because we did talk to the Police

327
00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:27,920
Speaker 1: Association earlier in the week and they were worried that

328
00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:31,120
Speaker 1: it could mean that we weren't going to have the

329
00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:33,680
Speaker 1: same volume of constables in our schools and that they

330
00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:35,480
Speaker 1: were going to be replaced by auxiliaries.

331
00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:36,960
Speaker 2: But that's not the case.

332
00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:39,680
Speaker 1: We're just expanding it so that it includes auxiliaries.

333
00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:43,360
Speaker 3: And I can't commit to ten exactly because we're working

334
00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:45,640
Speaker 3: through the model of what that looks like. But it's

335
00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:47,480
Speaker 3: fair to say we want to see expanded to be

336
00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:50,560
Speaker 3: beyond ten resources. Some of those will be fully formed

337
00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:52,800
Speaker 3: police officers, some of those will be xillaries. I think

338
00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:55,520
Speaker 3: it's important to have a mixed model. That way, we

339
00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:58,160
Speaker 3: know that we won't have those resources pulled out a

340
00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:01,520
Speaker 3: school of operational demands requiring the hilliaries are fantastic. We're

341
00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:03,880
Speaker 3: going to be recruiting people who love working with young people.

342
00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:07,280
Speaker 1: So what that mean though, Minister, what's that going to

343
00:16:07,320 --> 00:16:10,480
Speaker 1: mean though? For the constables who are in those jobs

344
00:16:10,560 --> 00:16:13,600
Speaker 1: right now, or that you know that they'd won those jobs,

345
00:16:13,640 --> 00:16:15,960
Speaker 1: will they continue to have those jobs?

346
00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:18,360
Speaker 2: Because there was ten previously, wasn't there?

347
00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:21,920
Speaker 3: Yeah, there were, so I'd say most of them will,

348
00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:24,840
Speaker 3: But over time we're looking at what that model looks like.

349
00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:27,840
Speaker 3: So that's something that police are working through. That's something

350
00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:29,920
Speaker 3: that they work through as the members. But I've got

351
00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:33,960
Speaker 3: to say this, the school based police officers that I

352
00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:37,320
Speaker 3: certainly know are just amazing. They're outstanding. They love working

353
00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:39,400
Speaker 3: with young people, and I love seeing them in the schools.

354
00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:40,240
Speaker 3: They do a great job.

355
00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:42,760
Speaker 2: Well yeah, and I guess spare the program.

356
00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:44,560
Speaker 3: And we want to have more people in it because

357
00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:45,680
Speaker 3: it is a great program.

358
00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:47,800
Speaker 1: And I guess taking that into account, like you've said,

359
00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:50,360
Speaker 1: you know, they do a great job and they're wonderful

360
00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:53,520
Speaker 1: at USh, I guess there'll be people listening now wondering

361
00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:55,880
Speaker 1: then why we would change it, why they're big auxiliaries

362
00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:57,400
Speaker 1: rather than those constables.

363
00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:01,880
Speaker 3: Again, I think that lines a few times, which is

364
00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:05,640
Speaker 3: making sure that I can firstly a boost the numbers

365
00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:11,040
Speaker 3: and be ensuring that when it comes to frontline demands

366
00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:13,639
Speaker 3: and when people have to go out and do the

367
00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:15,880
Speaker 3: duties that there fully trained force in the police force,

368
00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:17,919
Speaker 3: that I don't need those resources out of the school.

369
00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:19,760
Speaker 2: Okay, I'm going to move along.

370
00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:21,320
Speaker 1: I've just got a couple of things I still want

371
00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:23,200
Speaker 1: to ask you about, but we are pressed for time.

372
00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:26,240
Speaker 1: I want to talk about drug testing. We know that

373
00:17:26,560 --> 00:17:30,400
Speaker 1: the Northern Territory Police Association did speak to us last week.

374
00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:34,040
Speaker 1: They had said that it's disappointing that the Northern Territory

375
00:17:34,040 --> 00:17:38,239
Speaker 1: government supports random drug testing for Territory police officers but

376
00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:41,800
Speaker 1: not politicians. Paul McHugh said, if it's good enough to

377
00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:45,960
Speaker 1: ask police to do that, and the country liberal parties

378
00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:49,840
Speaker 1: support testing elected officials, then it should be good enough

379
00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:54,320
Speaker 1: for the Northern Territory Labor government as well. Minister, why

380
00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:57,399
Speaker 1: is the government resisting this so much?

381
00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:02,320
Speaker 3: Well, what I will say is a firstly, A we

382
00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:06,600
Speaker 3: don't believe that there is a drug issue within the government.

383
00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:11,760
Speaker 3: And B it's also just recognition that policing work is

384
00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:15,520
Speaker 3: very different. You know, we've got firearms, it's like dealing

385
00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:18,480
Speaker 3: with heavy vehicles and so forth. The Anti Police Force

386
00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:22,359
Speaker 3: is the only police force in the country that doesn't

387
00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:25,760
Speaker 3: deal with that type of testing. Certainly, we've seen some

388
00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:29,720
Speaker 3: matters before the court recently that we're very concerning and

389
00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:32,400
Speaker 3: it's something that the Commissioner wanted to progress, and so

390
00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:37,040
Speaker 3: clearly conversations happening between the NTPA, you know, they certainly

391
00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:40,000
Speaker 3: raise it with myself and the Commissioner and it's something

392
00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:41,320
Speaker 3: that they're looking to progress.

393
00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:41,879
Speaker 2: Minister.

394
00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:43,800
Speaker 1: I've said it a few times over the last couple

395
00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:46,199
Speaker 1: of weeks because the argument keeps coming up that you

396
00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:49,360
Speaker 1: know that our politicians and those who work inside Parliament House,

397
00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:52,119
Speaker 1: no matter what side of politics you're on, that you

398
00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:54,960
Speaker 1: know they're not using They're obviously not using firearms or

399
00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:57,680
Speaker 1: driving heavy machinery. But at the end of the day,

400
00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:01,439
Speaker 1: you guys are making the legislation that impacts every single

401
00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:05,080
Speaker 1: territory in many would argue that that is just as important,

402
00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:06,920
Speaker 1: if not more important.

403
00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:10,119
Speaker 3: Yeah. So, I mean, I think we've been on the

404
00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:12,720
Speaker 3: record a few times about it, Katie, but you know

405
00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:16,639
Speaker 3: there is absolutely no drug issues there. And again this

406
00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:18,760
Speaker 3: is making sure that NT police are in line with

407
00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:19,760
Speaker 3: the rest of the nation.

408
00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:23,040
Speaker 1: So are the police investigating anything, you know, any of

409
00:19:23,040 --> 00:19:24,960
Speaker 1: those reports that came through last week.

410
00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:32,560
Speaker 3: So there's nothing that I am aware of. So there

411
00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:34,240
Speaker 3: is nothing I more here of Katie, all.

412
00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:34,760
Speaker 2: Right, Minister.

413
00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:37,560
Speaker 1: Just finally this morning, earlier in the week, one of

414
00:19:37,600 --> 00:19:41,840
Speaker 1: our deputy police commissioners, Michael Hebb, resigned from the position

415
00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:43,920
Speaker 1: with the Northern Territory Police.

416
00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:45,960
Speaker 2: Are you aware of why he's resigned.

417
00:19:47,359 --> 00:19:50,840
Speaker 3: I understand that he's chosen to resign to go pursue

418
00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:53,520
Speaker 3: other work opportunities than I thank him for a service.

419
00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:56,359
Speaker 1: The NT News is reporting that it's because of a

420
00:19:56,440 --> 00:19:58,399
Speaker 1: relationship with a female staff member.

421
00:19:59,080 --> 00:19:59,840
Speaker 2: Is that the case?

422
00:20:01,560 --> 00:20:05,119
Speaker 3: So I'm not aware of the issues within his resignation

423
00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:07,320
Speaker 3: or the reasons why he's determined except for to go

424
00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:10,520
Speaker 3: pursue another career opportunity. And again I thank him for

425
00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:12,199
Speaker 3: his service, done a lot of work with him, and

426
00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:14,320
Speaker 3: thank him for the services given the territory.

427
00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:17,000
Speaker 1: All right, Minister for Police Nicole Madison, we better leave

428
00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:18,760
Speaker 1: it there. Good to speak with you this morning. We

429
00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:19,720
Speaker 1: appreciate your time.

430
00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:23,000
Speaker 3: Thanks Katie, Thank you well.

431
00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:25,000
Speaker 1: You are listening to mix one oh four point nine

432
00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:27,240
Speaker 1: is three sixty if you would like to get in

433
00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:29,880
Speaker 1: contact with us this morning eight nine four one one

434
00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:33,640
Speaker 1: oh four nine. I'm sure plenty of you well wondering,

435
00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:35,640
Speaker 1: you know, when we're ever going to sort of see

436
00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:38,199
Speaker 1: any change I think in this youth space when it

437
00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:40,360
Speaker 1: comes to youth crime. I think every time we talk

438
00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:42,399
Speaker 1: about this and every time we talk about it at

439
00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:45,080
Speaker 1: the moment with a minister, the answers are very much

440
00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:48,159
Speaker 1: the same. It is that there's going to be generational change,

441
00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:50,680
Speaker 1: and it is that you know that they've got.

442
00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:52,960
Speaker 2: More police resources, but I've got to feel for the.

443
00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:56,200
Speaker 1: Police, and I pointed to one of those examples which

444
00:20:56,200 --> 00:21:00,399
Speaker 1: I gave throughout that interview of the young man that

445
00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:03,600
Speaker 1: was bailed, obviously after that terrible assault that we plenty

446
00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:06,440
Speaker 1: of us saw the vision of on social media. Eight

447
00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:08,760
Speaker 1: nine four one one O four nine is the number

448
00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:09,800
Speaker 1: if you'd like to call through