Push to scale back NT’s COVID-19 border checkpoints to relieve fatigued cops

THE NT Police Association is calling for overworked cops to be removed from the smaller, remote border checkpoints to offer them some long overdue respite and annual leave

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THE NT Police Association is calling for overworked cops to be removed from the smaller, remote border checkpoints to offer them some long overdue respite and annual leave.

It comes after the Chief Minister said the NT would not scale back border control points despite its last COVID-19 hot spot declaration getting revoked on Monday.

NT Police Association president Paul McCue said he saw no justification to keep officers at remote border checkpoints in places like Docker River, Tobermorey and Tanami after the NT opened the border to Melbourne next week.

Police checking motorists from South Australia heading to Northern Territory . Picture: Michael Marschall

He said there are currently around 100 officers undertaking border checkpoint duties as part of NT Police’s COVID-19 response, with many unable to take leave.

“Some of those remote checkpoints are barely seeing more than five cars a day, while the frontline response in major centres is suffering and members cannot access leave,” Mr McCue said.

“We would envisage the checkpoints would remain at the main cross-border arterial bitumen roads, and the smaller locations could be dismantled, but reinstated if another hotspot is declared.

“Until then, it is simply a waste of valuable resources at the expense of our member’s health and wellbeing, and the ability to adequately staff frontline rosters.”

Chief Minister Michael Gunner said keeping police on the border was critical for people’s confidence with how the NT was managing the risk of COVID-19.

He also brushed off claims that NT police staffing restraints had somehow contributed to a recent spike in crime.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner with NT Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker (right) out checking on the NT's border control points in May.

Mr Gunner previously flagged the border checkpoints could remain in place until March next year.

It comes as NT Police recently decided to stop rostering border duties as overtime.

The NT News obtained an email sent to front-line cops from a Superintendent notifying them of the changes on Friday.

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“It has been recognised that members whom are working at border control points (predominantly on overtime) and then returning to their normal duties are becoming fatigued,” the email read.