Fury over Northern Territory Police Commissioner Michael Murphy’s Garma apology
NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy is in a feud with his force – and it all started at the home of an Alice Springs businessman.
Northern Territory Police Commissioner Michael Murphy was sitting in the home of an Alice Springs businessman a year ago when he first learnt of the “coon awards” handed out by an elite squad of police.
But in a move that would dramatically undermine his leadership – and lead him into direct conflict with his own force – Mr Murphy chose not to act. Later he would even deny knowing about the awards.
So when he stood up at the Garma Festival in Arnhem Land on Friday and apologised to the Territory’s Aboriginal people for hurt inflicted on them by police, many of the commissioner’s 1600 officers saw red.
The lengthy apology came just six months after racism inside NT Police ranks was exposed at the inquest of Yuendumu teen Kumanjayi Walker. And just 12 months after Mr Murphy made a conscious decision to ignore it. Yet the source of the information had been impeccable.
The man sitting opposite him on that warm August evening was Carey Joy, a former senior constable of the Tactical Response Group, who described to him in detail how the awards involved the Aboriginal flag and referenced the racist slur “coon”.
Mr Joy admitted he had personally played a part in the awards. He described them in detail. He was warning Mr Murphy because he knew they could be raised at the ongoing coronial inquest into Walker’s death.
Six months later, when accused police officer Zachary Rolfe gave evidence at the inquest about the racist awards, Mr Murphy claimed at a press conference he knew nothing about them.
Only when compelled to give evidence himself did he reveal he’d known all along. He told the inquest he regretted not acting on the information. He admitted he hadn’t treated it with the seriousness he should have, claiming he was dealing with the death of three US Marines in a helicopter crash, bushfires and commonwealth investment in Central Australia.
Mr Murphy said on Tuesday he simply forgot about that conversation.
He acknowledged he was “gaslighting” Indigenous people when he said in February he had not seen racism in the force – despite knowing full well about its existence.
The owner of the home where last year’s meeting took place was NT baker Darren Clark, a trusted voice in the community and publisher of Alice Springs advocacy and crime watch Facebook page Action for Alice.
Mr Clark is the man those at some of the highest levels of the Territory government speak with to get a true understanding of what is happening on the ground in Alice Springs. He was sitting at the same table, but away from Mr Murphy and Mr Joy.
“Carey and I told him he needs to go and deal with this. We told him that if it was to come out in the coronial, it’s not going to be good,” Mr Clark told The Australian.
Mr Murphy had been formally appointed Commissioner just a week before, having been acting in the role after the NT Labor government’s disastrous attempt to sack former commissioner Jamie Chalker, a procedure that cost taxpayers “less than $1m”. Mr Chalker’s departure brought a dramatic end to a chaotic reign.
He officially “retired” after a botched attempt by the government, led by Natasha Fyles, to revoke his appointment six months before his contract expired, following a loss of confidence in his leadership amid an escalation in youth crime and alcohol-related violence.
Under his leadership, 80 per cent of officers in one poll rated police morale as low or very low.
In the months after Mr Murphy took over, there appeared to be some improvement, with 63 per cent of officers rating morale as low or very low in a December 2023 survey. He was seen as a calm, new breath of fresh air.
Fast-forward one year and it appears a repeat of history might be on the horizon.
Late on Monday night Mr Murphy resigned his membership of the NT Police Association just days after his apology at Garma, in which he described how NT Police took children from their families, and the role of police in a series of historical events. He pledged to transform the NT Police with an anti-racism strategy. Ultimately, he said, 30 per cent of the NT Police workforce would be Indigenous.
On Monday he said he was “incredibly disappointed” by the police association’s response to his apology.
It’s the clearest sign of another growing divide between the top brass and frontline police. The apology came as a surprise to police, many frustrated they weren’t told about the speech.
Multiple sources said the apology could raise community anger towards frontline police, and that it would provide a “green light” for more aggression and violence towards officers.
The NTPA said on Tuesday morning it had received reports from members overnight that members of the public were “calling them racist”.
Acting NTPA president Lisa Bayliss on Tuesday said Mr Murphy’s resignation was an “unfortunate” distraction from the real issues police and Territorians faced.
There is still a question mark over the future of five police officers who signed statutory declarations claiming they had “never experienced any racism” and that the awards weren’t racist.
One source said they hoped individuals would be held to account, instead of “shitting” on the entire force.
“We are friends with all those cops but they made their mistakes, they gotta own it,” another said.
If you know more email liam.mendes@protonmail.com or +61 423 456 893 on Signal
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