‘Racist’: ICAC’s bombshell statement after elite NT Police Territory Response Group probe

The corruption watchdog’s investigation into racism within NT Police has uncovered evidence ‘so offensive that I do not consider it in the public interest that they be circulated’.

NT Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Michael Riches says he is ‘quite confident’ racist awards were produced in the TRG.

An award for “the most C--N like BBQ ever” and a speech describing a drunk officer as “expressing his aboriginality (sic)” are among evidence gathered during a corruption probe into NT Police deemed “too offensive to release”.

Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Michael Riches on Friday released a long-awaited public statement following his investigation into claims of racism among the force’s elite Territory Response Group first raised at an inquest in Alice Springs in February.

In it, Mr Riches revealed he had received copies of awards purportedly handed out within the unit in 2007 that “are so offensive that I do not consider it in the public interest that they be circulated”.

Mr Riches said one certificate was headed the “2007 shit BBQ award”, presented for “the most C--N like BBQ ever!!” and featuring images of Aboriginal people.

Another, called the 2007 “Noogadah Award”, was awarded for displaying the “utmost level of Aboriginality while being an elite member of the TR(G)”.

“The document includes an image of what appears to be an Aboriginal male lying face down on the ground and a number of beer cans superimposed around the sides of the document,” Mr Riches said.

“Having reviewed those documents, together with other information I had in my possession, I was quite confident that, at least in 2007, racist awards had been produced in the TRG.”

An award certificate puportedly handed out to members of the Territory Response Group.

Mr Riches also revealed he had obtained speeches from the 2007 and 2009 awards ceremonies that included use of the word “c--n” and “the phrase ‘expressing his aboriginality (sic)’, apparently in the context of a TRG member being intoxicated”.

“I have viewed an email sent from a TRG member to a generic all-of-TRG email address, inviting nominations for the 2014 awards,” he said.

“Four categories of awards are listed, one of which is as follows: NOOGADAH AWARD – Best effort in displaying one (sic) aboriginality (sic).

“A further document, purporting to be an award issued in 2015, is set to the background of William H West’s Big Minstrel Jubilee.

“The image appears to be from around 1900 and features a caricature of what appears to be a person wearing blackface.

“The document is entitled ‘Winner – Nugeda Award – 2015’ and includes the words ‘Ngalbijijiman – wandering whistling duck’.”

The investigation came after former constable Zach Rolfe told an inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker the TRG, of which he was never a member, was widely considered a hotbed of racism.

Former NT Police constable Zach Rolfe is due to return to the witness box at an inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker in Alice Springs on Monday. Picture: Jason Walls

Mr Riches subsequently issued an appeal for current and former members of the unit to come forward and obtained statements from up to 20 individual officers, who asked not to be dobbed in to NT Police.

“I should acknowledge that those who have come forward have done so voluntarily,” he said.

“Many have given me information that is contrary to their own interests.

“Some have expressed regret and remorse for their past behaviours.”

In the wake of Mr Rolfe’s revelations, senior members of the force dismissed suggestions of racism within the TRG while claiming none of the awards were intended to be offensive.

On Friday, Mr Riches said the evidence of some witnesses who came forward to him was “inconsistent”, with some denying any knowledge of any racism and others suggesting it was “commonplace”.

But he said of the “enormous body of documentary evidence”, there was “nothing to suggest that TRG awards were created or disseminated between 2016 and the present day that were, directly or indirectly, racist”.

“While my investigation is not yet complete, the current state of the evidence suggests a significant shift in behaviours and attitudes in the TRG since 2016,” he said.

“Accordingly, great care should be taken to associate what might have been past behaviours and attitudes to those that appear to represent the present TRG culture.”

Mr Riches reiterated his appeal for anyone with any further information to come forward while flagging the publication of a full investigation report “as soon as possible”.

The inquest resumes in Alice Springs on Monday.

Originally published as ‘Racist’: ICAC’s bombshell statement after elite NT Police Territory Response Group probe