Australian Federal Police confirm assistance ‘offered’ to the NT Police, will be used ‘if required’
Assistance from federal or interstate police will be called on ‘if required,’ the police commissioner says – with the federal police confirming they have offered assistance. Read what we know.
Northern Territory
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Federal police have offered their assistance to the Northern Territory, but the police commissioner says it – or interstate support – will only be used “if required”.
A statement from the Australian Federal Police, obtained by this masthead on Wednesday, said the agency had offered assistance to the NT Police Force amid the Territory’s crime crisis.
The statement said the agency already worked “closely with state and territory law enforcement partners to help protect Australians and Australia’s interests”.
“The AFP can confirm assistance has been offered to the Northern Territory Police Force, which has announced a new Fugitive Taskforce to target repeat and recidivist offenders across the Northern Territory, with an initial focus on the Alice Springs region,” the statement said.
“The AFP’s assistance centres on sharing the investigative strategies, methodologies, and the technique of the AFP’s successful Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (FAST), which locates offenders throughout the world and brings them before the courts.
“Since it was established in 2021, the FAST has located 43 fugitives in Australia and seven throughout the world, including alleged child sex offenders, transnational serious organised criminals and fraudsters.”
The NT police’s fugitive task force was established after a mother and her two-month-old baby in Alice Springs were allegedly assaulted during a home invasion on Wednesday, December 11.
The baby’s skull was fractured in the assault – which police have accused two teens, aged 16 and 17 of committing – and the girl had to be flown to hospital in Adelaide for treatment.
It was later revealed the two youths had previously been bailed a combined 35 times, were on bail when the alleged assault occurred, and had both been charged a combined 300 times by the police.
Questions to the Northern Territory Police were directed to an interview the NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy did with ABC radio on Wednesday morning.
In the interview, Mr Murphy said he’d already made calls to his SA counterpart, police commissioner Grant Stevens, but did not comment on support from the AFP.
Mr Murphy hinted support could be coming from the south in January – “if required” – but stressed he was “dependent” on the command team to ask for assistance.
A Northern Territory government spokesperson said Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro had been “briefed” on conversations NT police had with the federal and SA police.
“There are inter-agency arrangements already in place if federal assistance is required. All options are on the table,” the spokesperson said.
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