Aboriginal police officers detail allegations of racism in NT force in human rights complaint

Aboriginal officers in the NT Police force have alleged multiple instances of racism against Indigenous Territorians, including women being called ‘black dogs’ and urinating in someone’s drink.

Shawn Lewfatt and Lisa Burkenhagen are two of the NT Aboriginal Community Police Officers who are taking the NT government and NT police commissioner to the Australian Human Rights Commission, claiming racial discrimination and racist conduct. Picture: Charlie Bliss

Aboriginal police officers have detailed shocking instances of racism they claim to have witnessed in the Northern Territory Police Force, including white officers challenging elderly Indigenous men to fights, calling women “black dogs”, and urinating in someone’s wine cask.

Aboriginal Community Police Officers (ACPO) also claimed they were routinely instructed to move on Indigenous people from public areas in Darwin and Alice Springs ahead of major events or visits from political leaders.

The Australian reported the allegations on Tuesday, based on a racism complaint filed with the Australian Human Rights Commission.

According to the broadsheet, documents alleged whenever events were held in city areas that “have political interest and guaranteed media attention”, Indigenous people were moved on “to give public perception that homelessness and anti-social behaviour is not an issue”.

That included visits by dignitaries including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Prince Charles and former US president Barack Obama.

Even outside of special visits and events, areas identified as anti-social “hotspots” were also routinely checked and cleared, it was alleged by the group including former AFL player turned ACPO Shawn Lewfatt.

Shawn Lewfatt (centre left) and Lisa Burkenhagen (centre right) are two of the NT Aboriginal Community Police Officers who are taking the NT government and NT police commissioner to the Australian Human Rights Commission, claiming racial discrimination and racist conduct. Lewfatt and Burkenhagan are pictured here with other officers taking part in the legal challenge. Picture: Charlie Bliss

“On multiple occasions, Mr Lewfatt has witnessed Aboriginal groups complain, stating ‘We haven’t done anything wrong, we are just sitting here’ before reluctantly being moved on to another area. Mr Lewfatt has never seen a person of any race other than Aboriginal being directed to leave any of these areas,” the documents alleged.

The Australian reported another Aboriginal police officer had claimed to witness a white constable first class calling two Indigenous women “black dogs”, before dragging one of the women by the leg.

Other claims made by the group included police secretly urinating in an Aboriginal man’s wine cask; challenging elderly, intoxicated Aboriginal men to fight; and charging Indigenous people with offences they did not commit.

Another allegation detailed a scenario when a female ACPO on duty with a white constable encountered an Aboriginal man drinking a beer by the side of a river.

She claimed the constable aggressively told the man to “put the bottle of beer down”, grabbed him by the ankles and, according to the Australian, “flicked” him into a police wagon.

The man fell with the full force of the impact due to his intoxication, she said, an incident so brutal it brought her to tears.

NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy delivers an apology to First Nations people at Garma. He pledges to eliminate racism and is determined to improve relations between police and First Nations people. Photography Teagan Glenane / YYF

Mr Lewfatt and other ACPOs, including NT Police Association executive member Lisa Burkenhagen, told the newspaper they had personally been subjected to racist stereotyping and stigmatisation as useless and lazy slackers, repeatedly being called “SLACPOs” by white officers.

Police Commissioner Michael Murphy said it would be inappropriate to comment on the specifics of the case.

“What I can say is that it is a positive step for NT Police that members have the confidence to speak up about issues such as racism,” he said.

“We are invested in cultural reform, and continuing to make progress for a safe workplace and investment in leadership and pathways for all our employees, for a safer Territory.”

Originally published as Aboriginal police officers detail allegations of racism in NT force in human rights complaint