’It’s not a witch hunt’: Police union boss breaks silence on Jamie Chalker survey

The president of the NT Police Association has broken his silence following the release of a survey on members’ confidence in the police commissioner, declaring the poll ‘is not a witch hunt’.

THE president of the NT Police Association has broken his silence following the release of a survey on confidence in Commissioner Jamie Chalker, declaring the poll “is not a witch hunt”.

The NTPA survey was released to members on Tuesday, opening with a yes/no question on whether or not officers have confidence in Mr Chalker, followed by options as to why.

But only one of those options makes passing reference to the 2019 Yuendumu police shooting and its aftermath that is believed to have sparked calls to hold the “no confidence” vote.

On Wednesday, NTPA president Paul McCue released a carefully worded statement on the survey, which makes no mentions of the shooting or subsequent murder charge and acquittal of Constable Zach Rolfe.

In the statement, Mr McCue said “this survey is not a witch hunt”.

“It is a mechanism to provide evidence to the government and Commissioner about how NT Police officers currently feel, about a range of issues affecting them in their workplace,” he said.

“The survey will focus on confidence in NT Police Commissioner, Mr Jamie Chalker APM, as well as ongoing concerns with regard to resourcing, staffing and morale.

Zach Rolfe and Paul McCue outside the Supreme Court. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

Mr McCue said the survey would not only allow union members to have their say on their confidence in Mr Chalker, “but also provide important reasons as to why they do, or do not, have confidence in his leadership”.

“While that question is a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer — the NTPA executive wants to understand some specific reasons why our members, as a collective, have put forward this motion to hold a survey regarding confidence in the Commissioner,” he said.

“The survey includes questions around staffing levels, communication, resourcing, morale, and the current wage freeze offer — and how that relates to members’ confidence in the Commissioner to handle complex issues.

“The answers from this survey will form an important part of future discussions with government and the senior police executive.”

Mr Chalker said the results of the survey “and any further action to be taken by the NTPA executive” would be “discussed” at the union’s annual conference next month.

NT Police union’s survey on confidence in Commissioner Jamie Chalker makes only passing reference to ‘Yuendumu critical incident’

A SURVEY of NT Police members on their “confidence” in Commissioner Jamie Chalker makes just a single passing reference to the shooting death of Yuendumu teenager Kumanjayi Walker, widely perceived to have sparked calls for the poll.

Responses to the survey have now begun trickling in following its distribution to union members on Tuesday, after officers in nine of NT Police’s 12 policing regions voted to hold a “no confidence” ballot earlier this year.

But over the course of eight questions, only one vague reference is made to “the Yuendumu critical incident”, despite the acquittal of Constable Zach Rolfe in March over the 2019 shooting death of Mr Walker in the remote community of Yuendumu having immediately preceded the “no confidence” votes.

The survey comes just over a week after Const Rolfe returned to work with NT Police and follows reported widespread dissatisfaction within the rank and file over the handling of the decision to charge him with the shooting.

The first question in the survey, seen by the NT News, asks whether or not respondents have confidence in Mr Chalker, followed by a series of follow up questions.

For members who answer “yes”, options for the reasons for their decision include that Mr Chalker “understands the challenges of NT policing and has a clear vision for the future”; “is accountable and accepts responsibility for decisions of the organisation”; and “provides strong leadership, direction and support to members”.

Other options include that Mr Chalker “displays honesty and integrity at all times”; “has the support and confidence of government”; and is “committed to ensuring a safe working environment for members including strong health and wellbeing support”.

Zach Rolfe (right) with NT Police Association president Paul McCue outside court during the trial in March. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

For those who answer “no”, reasons for their decision include “the application of the disciplinary and complaints process, including time frames for outcomes including appeals”; “the management and communication relating to the Yuendumu critical incident”; “failure to retain police in the Northern Territory (high attrition)” and a “perception of double standards”.

The survey says while the motion put forward at the regional meetings demanding the vote of no confidence was “self-explanatory”, the NTPA executive was “interested in the reasons why members have put forward a motion of this nature”.

“The reasons behind such a motion are important in subsequent discussions with the Government and the Commissioner,” it reads.

Other questions officers are asked in the survey, separate to their confidence in Mr Chalker, canvass whether members believe there are enough police in the NT to do the job, morale levels and satisfaction with the government’s four year wage freeze.

NT Police union’s survey on confidence in Commissioner Jamie Chalker to hit inboxes this week

NT POLICE members could have their say on their “confidence in the Commissioner of Police” by Monday, with a union survey due to hit inboxes “early” this week.

The survey comes one week after Constable Zach Rolfe returned to work with NT Police after being cleared by an internal investigation following his acquittal over the shooting death of Yuendumu teenager, Kumanjayi Walker.

It follows an alert sent to union members last month, in which NT Police Association president Paul McCue flagged the NTPA would seek officers’ views on the future of Commissioner Jamie Chalker.

The move came after nine of the 12 NT Police regions voted in motions expressing their lack of confidence in Mr Chalker and Mr McCue said it was “clear the membership is seeking to undertake a survey on this issue”.

But in the alert, Mr McCue said much of the public commentary “surrounding NTPA regional meetings and motions regarding confidence in the Commissioner” had been “completely inaccurate and misleading”.

“As has some of the comments directed toward the NTPA executive as the driver of this motion,” he wrote.

“This unsurprisingly continues today.”

Mr McCue said NTPA officials had attended regional meetings “to provide leadership and understanding of possible outcomes in the event any motion is carried”.

Police union boss Paul McCue addresses media outside court flanked by Const Rolfe and his legal team in March. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

But he said it was “not the role of the NTPA executive to interfere in that process”.

“The NTPA have allowed, through time, members to put forward their motions to determine if this is a widely and deeply felt issue, without the interference of public commentary,” Mr McCue wrote.

“The regions are free to list motions they feel are relevant to their region.”

On Thursday last week, a further alert was sent to members flagging the survey would be sent out from “early next week”.

“The NTPA is currently in the final stages of working with an independent facilitator to conduct a survey of the membership on this issue,” it reads.

“We anticipate the survey will be available for members from early next week.

“The survey will take between 5-10 minutes, based on your responses.”

In the previous alert, Mr McCue said the NTPA executive wanted to “understand through any survey the primary drivers for such a sentiment from the regions”.

“Not all members will agree with what is being proposed, however it is the industrial right as part of the association that such a request can be put forward and members can choose to participate or not,” he wrote.

Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker.

After the survey was announced to members last month, the force’s top brass rallied around their embattled leader, issuing a joint statement of support, noting the “sentiment around confidence” had followed the charging of Const Rolfe with murder over Mr Walker’s death.

Constable Rolfe returned to work with NT Police last Monday after being acquitted on all charges following the shooting in March but it remains unclear under what circumstances he will return to active duty.

The statement — co-signed by Mr Chalker along with deputy and assistant commissioners Michael Murphy, Murray Smalpage, Michael White, Bruce Porter, Travis Wurst and Martin Dole — said the executives wanted “to reach a stage that our entire workforce can be open about their concerns”.

“The Commissioner and the police executive engage regularly with members of the Northern Territory Police force to understand issues that are concerning them and acknowledge the exceptional work that they’ve all been doing,” it said.

“The proposed survey is a matter for the NTPA but the sentiment around confidence first started in the months following the event at Yuendumu in 2019.

“We equally would like to understand the primary drivers of the sentiment as the NTPA executive has also expressed.”