‘We need to own our past’: NT Police Commissioner to apologise to Indigenous community over historical injustices, harms

One of Australia’s top cops has said he is “deeply sorry” for the police’s historic injustices and harms towards Indigenous Australians, promising to work towards a better future.

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that this article contains mentions of deceased persons.

The Northern Territory’s top cop has made a historic apology for past harms and injustices caused towards Indigenous Australians, urging it was time for police not to repeat the “mistakes” of the past.

NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy made the candid admission of wrongdoing towards Indigenous Australians during the Garma Festival of Traditional Cultures in Gulkula, in northeast Arnhem Land, on Saturday.

Commissioner Murphy had earlier discussed police would look towards “owning” the wrongdoing and look towards “healing and reconciliation” into the future.

He began his address on Saturday afternoon with a heartfelt apology.

Northern Territory Police Commissioner Michael Murphy will apologise over injustices to Indigenous community. Picture: NT Police/Contributed

“I am deeply sorry to all Aboriginal Territorians, for the past harms and the injustices caused by members of the Northern Territory Police,” he told the crowd.

“Throughout our 154 years of policing in the Northern Territory, we have aimed to work effectively with Aboriginal people and deliver just outcomes.

“However, we acknowledge that we have made mistakes.”

Commissioner Murphy said he could not undo or change the past but committed to “not repeating the mistakes” of the past.

“NT Police need to be accountable for the past treatment of Aboriginal people,” he said.

He said there was an urgent need to close the gap and address the deep-rooted causes of dispossession and disempowerment.

“At times, police officers have abused their powers and fallen short in their duty of care,” Commissioner Murphy said.

“The community should never fear the police, and the police should ne

“It will change under my leadership.

“I stand here today to publicly commit to lead that change, to transform relations between police and Aboriginal people.”

Commissioner Murphy said he was committed to stamping out racist behaviours in his police force as part of building the new relationship and driving change.
He told the crowd he was not the sole solution to these problems - urging members of the force to assist him.

It comes after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said aspirations for better future for Indigenous Australians ‘did not end last October’ while speaking at the spoke at the Garma Festival on Saturday. Picture: Nina Franova via NewsWire

His speech was met with applause as he promised to make the Northern Territory “a better place”

Speaking to the ABC earlier, Commissioner Murphy said the answer is working together to look for better outcomes for all community members, noting the high rates of incarceration for Indigenous people.

It comes amid a coronial inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker, who was shot dead in his Alice Springs bedroom by NT police officer Zachary Rolfein in November 2019.

Mr Rolfe fired three shots after Mr Walker stabbed him with a pair of scissors.

Mr Murphy said the inquest had led police to “reflect” on the whole history of the NT police and come to the conclusion that change must be made.

“It’s a time to make a change. We need to own our past,” he said.

“As the commissioner of police, I’m responsible for the leadership of the agency and the future of it and where we’re headed and this is a real opportunity to seize on that and make a difference for the future and make it a different place.”

Speaking with the community, Mr Murphy said there has been “a lot of hurt” and anger, sparking the need to “do something different”.

The Garma Festival of Traditional Cultures is Australia's largest Indigenous cultural gathering. Picture: Leicolhn McKellar via NewsWire

Director of the NT’s Aboriginal Justice Agreement and Central Arrernte woman Leanne Liddle said the timing of the apology is “right”, and that it will contribute towards healing the hurt made to the Indigenous community.

“I think we need to recognise that there’s been damage and hurt and pain by Aboriginal people, and the apology will do something towards healing that,” she said on the ABC.

Director of the NT’s Aboriginal Justice Agreement and Central Arrernte woman Leanne Liddle said the apology will contribute towards healing the hurt made to the Indigenous community. Picture: Supplied

Ms Liddle said she’d be joining an anti-racism strategy to increase the number of Indigenous people in the NT Police force by 30 per cent, as well as bringing in Indigenous language speakers into triple-zero call centres.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do. This isn’t going to change overnight, it’s going to take time,” she said.

“People will need to be patient. But I didn’t take this role on lightly.

“I didn’t accept it for a very long time because I had to make sure that the leadership was there, that my ability to do the work that I’ve been asked to do is able to get done. I’m confident that we will get there.”