Northern Territory police commissioner Michael Murphy admits racism among officers

NT police commissioner Michael Murphy has acknowledged racism among serving officers, saying there is a ‘body of work ahead of us to reform some of our culture within the police force’.

Northern Territory police commissioner Michael Murphy. Picture: Zizi Averill

Northern Territory police commissioner Michael Murphy has acknowledged racism among serving officers, saying there is a “body of work ahead of us to reform some of our culture within the police force”.

Mr Murphy on Wednesday was also forced to acknowledge to NT Coroner Elisabeth Armitage that he was wrong when he told journalists on February 27 that he had been unaware of the Tactical Response Group in-house awards known as “coon of the year”.

The awards have been held up during the inquest into the death of Walpiri teenager Kumanjayi Walker as emblematic of a deep problem in the force.

The award certificates were revealed in February by former police officer Zachary Rolfe, who shot and killed Walker while trying to arrest him in 2019.

As Mr Rolfe faced questions about his use of the word coon while serving in Alice Springs, he claimed racist language was commonplace at the Alice Springs station and rubbed off on him. Then he announced from the witness box that the TRG gave out an annual award “for the most coon-like behaviour”.

Mr Murphy had been told “broadly” about the awards at an informal meeting with former TRG officer Carey Joy in Alice Springs last August, during Mr Murphy’s first week in the top job. However, as the inquest turned its attention to the awards in February, Mr Murphy told reporters: “No I was not aware of the TRG – these awards they spoke of”.

“I just didn’t make the link with the meeting,” Mr Murphy told the inquest on Wednesday.

The award certificates – one featuring the words “for the most coon like BBQ ever” and another featuring the body of an Aboriginal man with beer cans photoshopped around it – became the subject of a joint investigation by NT police and the NT Independent Commission Against Corruption after Mr Rolfe revealed their existence.

Mr Murphy conceded on Wednesday that the awards may never have come to light if Mr Rolfe had not told the coroner about them. “I should have reported that to professional standards command and regrettably I did not,” he said.

On the final day of the inquest on Wednesday, Mr Murphy said he planned reforms on the advice of Central Arrernte woman Leanne Liddle, the first female Indigenous police officer in South Australia.

NT Police Minister Brent Potter told The Australian: “I do not believe there is systematic racism in our police force (but) I do believe there is still a lot of work to do to create a fully culturally safe organisation and stamp out pockets of unacceptable behaviour.”

Several police witnesses at the inquest have downplayed the significance of private conversations in which officers used racist language. Mr Rolfe has also stressed there is a difference between racist language and racist acts.

On Wednesday, Mr Murphy agreed with an assertion by the counsel assisting the coroner, Peggy Dwyer SC, that these things were connected.

Dr Dwyer said the inquest had been told of a significant number of officers who had recently used racist language and asked Mr Murphy: “Do you accept that ­racist words amount to racism even if expressed in private?”

He replied: “Yes I do … it is about your thoughts become your words and your words become your actions and your actions become your character … and that applies to the organisation (and) the current environment”.

Dr Dwyer then asked Mr Murphy if he believed racism could have played any role in the police operation that resulted in Walker’s death at Yuendumu.

“It is certainly possible that ­racism played a part,” he said.