Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker acknowledges ‘incredibly tough’ year at remembrance event
After an ‘incredibly tough’ year in which 26 serving or former officers died, the Territory’s men and women in blue have come together to mourn their colleagues in a moving ceremony.
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Northern Territory police marched through Darwin on Thursday to remember their fallen colleagues, including three much-loved officers who died in the past 12 months.
Civilians lined the streets as serving officers and NT Police horses and dogs paraded during the Territory’s annual Police Remembrance Day commemoration.
Setting out from Darwin Police Station, the blue procession headed to St Mary’s Star of the Sea Cathedral where an emotional service honourer officers who died in the line of duty.
Speaking in a rare public appearance after the service, NT Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker said this was an opportunity for the police force to reflect on the past year where three officers lost their lives while serving.
“Police Remembrance Day is all about that,” he said.
“To remember the people who have served and protected and the lives that have been lost.
“Unfortunately we’ve had three pass while serving this last 12 months and another 23 that have been former police officers that have passed away.
“It’s been a tough time for us … we’ve been doing a lot of work in that space to try and make sure that we’re bringing our people together but it’s days like this where we do have the time to actually pause, reflect and the community gets the opportunity to come and share that with us.”
“We all know the sacrifice it takes.
“If you wear this uniform, you know that you don’t get to go out there and do everything ordinary people get to do.”
In April, 44-year-old Michael ‘Micky D’ Deutrom died.
At Mr Deutrom’s memorial in May, Mr Chalker pledged he would reform mental health services for officers on the front lines.
Mr Deutrom was one of three NT Police officers who died within three months.
Retired Senior Sergeant Garry Smith also took his own life in May.
He served with NT Police for more than three decades.
In June, a 26-year-old Aboriginal Community Police Officer from Alice Springs also took his own life.
The NT News has chosen not to name the man for cultural reasons.
At Thursday’s service, Mr Chalker also paid tribute to three Indigenous police force members who died while serving more than 100 years ago.
Their deaths were uncovered during research to commemorate 150 years of NT Police.
“It’s part of the rich history of the Northern Territory,” he said.
“They died while serving, while representing policing in the Northern Territory so I think it was a really important thing to acknowledge because it does highlight the Northern Territory.
“Police and Aboriginal people, who have been here long before all of us, have strong linkages.
“History hasn’t always been great but where we are today as we push into 2023 and beyond we want to change that.”
Mr Chalker said the past year was “incredibly tough” for NT Police, but hoped a community focus would provide a way forward.
“Two of our key platforms are our people and our community and that really is about making sure we’re integrated far greater,” he said.
“Many of the issues that confront the Northern Territory are not necessarily crime issues.
“Crime is an output of those things but there’s a lot of underlying things that we need to work collectively … with community.”
Police Remembrance Gallery
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