Brave police officers facing ‘worst of the worst’ in Alice Springs

A Central Australian police officer stationed in Alice Springs has revealed the horrors of his job and says he ‘never knows’ the condition he will be walking home in.

Police officers patrol the streets in Alice Springs. Picture: Liam Mendes

A Central Australian police officer stationed in Alice Springs has revealed the horrors of his job and says he “never knows” the condition he will be walking home in, or if he will be coming home at all.

In a rare window into the life of policing in Central Australia, the officer – who spoke on the condition of anonymity – said his crew struggled to meet the demands of a town buckling under soaring crime rates.

“We are expected to do way more than what we should,” he said. “We are not fireys, ambos, doctors, nurses or mental health professionals – and no one could ever live without them, including us boys and girls in blue.

“We are not teachers, youth services or support services … the expectations of our day-in-day-out (are) not tenable.”

The officer described a typical day as “never knowing what will come over the radio” and bracing for “the worst of the worst” of society.

“Will one of our own be assaulted? Will a poor … innocent victim be assaulted?” he said.

“What will we face today? How much blood will be shed? Will it be a serious assault, murder, robbery or even another … needless domestic violence (incident)?

“Will we be verbally abused by drunks and kids with no boundaries? How many crews will we have to handle this?”

The officer said he chose a career in the police force because he was always impressed as a child and young adult with the people who “turn up every day to be there for others” and be willing to “run towards the worst rather than run away”.

But he said no one could have prepared him for the “evil” he would see.

Figures from the NT Police Fire and Emergency Services show that assault in 2022 was up by more than 40 per cent compared to the year before, with domestic-violence related assault up by more than 50 per cent.

The Northern Territory Police Force is comprised of more than 1200 sworn police, auxiliaries and Aboriginal community police officers, with 40 extra police officers pumped into Alice Springs in November in response to the rising crime wave.

The officer said his personal life suffered under the strain of the job and he had learned quickly “to never make plans that are set in stone”.

“We are the job 24/7, 365 days a year,” he said.

“You also never know if you’re going home the same way you walked into work. Be that physical injury or psychological injury, or worst still, will you wake up in the hospital? Or worse yet.

“We see the worst of the worst and the evil of society … it’s hard not to become cynical but it’s harder to become human again, to fit in with society,” he said. “Some have the ability to, some don’t.”

Of the things he had experienced, the officer said the worst was the suicide of a crew member.

“Nothing at all can explain that feeling,” he said.

“The station just becomes a very, very sombre place. Nothing is worse than that.”

The officer said the best part of the job was helping those who truly needed it and being “in their corner”.

“(It’s) being able to make someone feel safe,” he said.

“Helping someone realise they have someone in their corner. Helping someone feel like someone will protect them and being able to try and get justice for your victims, no matter their skin colour. ”