Central Land Council calls for independent investigation into alleged systemic racism in NT police
A Red Centre land council is calling for an ‘truly independent’ review into allegations of systemic racism in the Northern Territory Police. Find out why.
Northern Territory
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The Territory’s anti-discrimination commissioner is being asked to conduct a “truly independent” review into systemic racism in the NT police by a Red Centre land council, who say a previous report missed the mark.
The Central Land Council (CLC) has called on the commissioner in the wake of a report by the Independent Commission Against Corruption uncovered historical evidence of racism in the Territory Response Group division of the Territory’s police.
The investigation, led by Patricia Kelly SC, said there was no evidence of racist material produced after 2015.
She did however find the awards Zachary Rolfe presented during the Kumanjayi Walker inquest were “evidendently on their face racist”.
“It is difficult to conclude how any person of reasonable intelligence could conclude otherwise,” Ms Kelly said.
At the latest CLC meeting, the 11 elected members determined Ms Kelly’s report “does not reflect Aboriginal people’s experiences of racism in the NT police,” the CLC said in a media release.
“There is no Aboriginal Territorian alive who has not witnessed or experienced racist acts by the police,” CLC chair Warren Williams said.
“We need a truly independent review that does not cast doubt on our lived experience.”
NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy’s apology to Indigenous Territorians was welcomed by Mr Williams, as was the appointment of Leanne Liddle as the NT Police Force’s community resilience and engagement command executive director.
“It’s a step forward, but it’s not enough. Actions speak louder than words and appointments,” he said.
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