NT Police celebrate graduation of 14 new Aboriginal Liaison Officers

Territory cops in remote stretches of the outback will soon have some local knowledge to guide their actions, with 14 new Aboriginal Liaison Officers joining the force.

Fourteen new Aboriginal Liaison Officers graduated from the two-week training course to join the NT Police on Thursday, November 16.

The Territory has celebrated the graduation of 14 new peacemakers to guide police through the complexities of outback community life.

The NT Police welcomed the new Aboriginal Liaison Officers on Thursday, joining the 180 Indigenous officers including the 64 other ALOs within the force.

Police Minister Brent Potter said while the officers had completed their two weeks of training, they were also bringing with them a lifetime of cultural expertise within their own communities.

“Aboriginal Liaison Officers provide a wealth of knowledge to our frontline police who are stationed in remote communities,” Mr Potter said.

“They are integral in helping our police build strong relationships with community leaders.

Fourteen new Aboriginal Liaison Officers graduated from the two-week training course to join the NT Police on Thursday, November 16.

“Bridging the cultural gap between police and the community is an important step in improving social outcomes.”

Mr Potter said all of the new ALOs spoke an Aboriginal language used within the communities where they would be working.

The 14 new ALOs will be based across 13 communities, including Daly River, Galiwinku, Finke, Harts Range, Mutitjulu, Pirlangimpi, Ramingining, Santa Teresa, Tennant Creek, Wadeye, Willowra, Yuendumu and Darwin.

Fourteen new Aboriginal Liaison Officers graduated from the two-week training course to join the NT Police on Thursday, November 16.

The Territory police force has the highest ratio of Indigenous cops in the nation, with 10 per cent of the force identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, according to the latest NTPFES annual report.

However this was a 2 per cent drop from the previous year, and still not a reflection of the overall Territory population in which 30 per cent identify as Aboriginal.

Fourteen new Aboriginal Liaison Officers graduated from the two-week training course to join the NT Police on Thursday, November 16.

 In August the police top brass acknowledged the need for more work to bridge the policing gap, with then-acting Police Commissioner Michael Murphy saying the force’s demographics should be “reflective of the community”.

The latest annual report also found Indigenous Territorians had a lower attrition rate than the overall police population, with Aboriginal Community Police Officers leaving at a rate of 6 per cent, compared to an overall rate of 9 per cent.