Government dropped the ball on redeploying school cops and it was cringeworthy to watch
Dear Territory Labor, You missed a rare opportunity to win some easy praise by bumbling your way through the redeployment of school based cops last week
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Dear Territory Labor,
You missed a rare opportunity to win some easy praise by bumbling your way through the redeployment of school based cops last week.
The lack of communication between Chief Minister Michael Gunner, the Education Department and the Northern Territory Police was cringeworthy to watch play out.
Mr Gunner was told by his well-paid staff recently that the school-based cops had been redeployed, a claim several school staff quickly called out as untrue.
Last Tuesday, Police Media sent an email informing the NT News that seven school based officers were returning to Darwin and Katherine schools.
The email stated that NT Police and the Department of Education were continuing to work on a model to expand the program to a total of 15 schools across the Northern Territory.
But soon after, the Education Department informed the NT News that the information was incorrect and the true facts were on their way.
So here’s what we now know and believe to be true about the essential school based cops program … 15 police officers have been redeployed to 13 schools across the Territory, making the full return of a program begged for by students, parents and school communities.
Officers, with the exception of four, were removed from schools and placed on other operational duties as part of the Territory’s COVID-19 response last year.
By the end of last week one dedicated officer was reportedly in operation at Darwin Middle School, Casuarina Secondary College, Dripstone Middle School, Taminmin College, Nightcliff Middle School, Palmerston College (middle school campus), Katherine High School and Sanderson Middle School.
By Term 3 a further seven officers will be spread between Darwin High School, Centralian Middle School, Centralian Senior School, Nhulunbuy High School, and Tennant Creek High School.
Both Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker and NT Council of Government Schools president Tabby Fudge were thrilled at the return of the police officers.
Great news for kids, parents and teachers alike.
But why all the miscommunication and misinformation?
In a week where youth justice and cops walking away from the Territory police force were talking points in NT parliament, the return of the school based cops program should have also been a positive talking point.
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These officers are more than just enforcing the law at these schools, they’re developing relationships with kids who may have already found themselves in the youth justice system.
They’re showing our vulnerable teens there’s a path away from crime and bad behavior that’s actually pretty cool. Ms Fudge said schools got the best results from being proactive rather than reactive.
“Being on school grounds myself, I’ve seen the way children interact with school-based police. The mutual respect is there and I’ve listened to children asking officers what the pathway into the police force is” she said.
There’s no doubt the return of the school based cops program is good, in fact, great news, but the misinformation between government departments gave an impression that there wasn’t enough work and time put in to redeploying the cops and getting the correct message across. There was a lot of angst surrounding a program that should have been a flawless major announcement even before last week.
Luckily we have more faith in these redeployed cops to get stuck in to mentoring and inspiring our youth.
Denise Cahill is the Head of News at the NT News
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