NT government asks police chief to resign amid crime escalation

The NT government has asked police commissioner Jamie Chalker to stand down amid an ongoing escalation of youth crime and alcohol-related violence in the Northern Territory.

NT Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker (left) and Constable Zach Rolfe.

The NT government has asked police commissioner Jamie Chalker to stand down amid an ongoing escalation of youth crime and alcohol-related violence in the Northern Territory.

On Saturday it was reported that Natasha Fyles’ government had lost confidence in Mr Chalker and asked him to resign on Friday.

Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro has called for the government to immediately clarify the status of Mr Chalker’s position after a spokesperson for the Northern Territory government would not confirm or deny the reports.

“The Police Commissioner is on leave,” the spokesperson said.

“It is common practice for the Deputy Commissioner to act in the role while the commissioner is on leave,” they said.

NT Police head of media and communications Margaret McKeown told the NT News Mr Chalker was on planned leave, commencing on Friday, which was approved weeks ago.

“That was as planned. We’ve had no official notification from government that that’s changed.

“Speculation is hard for our officers on the ground because they’re working in a difficult environment.”

Ms Finocchiaro said on Sunday the police force was “in crisis and has been abandoned by Labor”.

“Natasha Fyles must provide immediate advice on Jamie Chalker’s ‘indefinite leave’. Our police cannot wait any longer for her to make a decision,” she said.

“The Country Liberal Party has tried six times to hold an inquiry into our police crisis which includes an examination of the police executive which has been ignored by Labor.”

Mr Chalker began his role two days after an NT police officer shot dead Kumanjayi Walker, after attempting to stab tactical police officer Zachary Rolfe with a pair of scissors during a botched arrest in Yuendumu.

Mr Rolfe was quickly charged with Mr Walker’s murder – a decision which angered many in the force – and was acquitted of all charges after it was found he was acting in self-defence.

Reports around Mr Chalker’s stepping down came just under two weeks after 20-year-old bottle shop worker Declan Laverty was allegedly murdered after refusing to serve alcohol to a teenager.

NT Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro. Picture: Liam Mendes/The Australian

Declan Laverty.

Mr Laverty was farewelled by friends and family at a funeral in Cairns on Friday.

In August 2022, a survey conducted by the Northern Territory Police Association showed almost 80 per cent of participants “do not have confidence” in the leadership of NT police.

A survey released last month showed more than 80 per cent of officers rated police morale as low or very low, and more than 97 per cent of respondents said police were extremely under-resourced.

Sky News has also reported that during any one pay period between 400 and 600 officers were calling in sick.

It’s the second time in less than a decade that a police commissioner has been dismissed. In 2015, then-acting chief minister Peter Chandler called for John McRoberts to resign.

Last week Mr Chalker appeared on ABC Radio, defending his handling of the escalating crime rates across the territory. “I’m not sure which agency or leader has done more, to be honest, to try and tackle things,” he said.

“If you see the number of people that we’ve placed into the courts, the number of people that are currently on remand, I’m not sure what test you’d want to apply to us to say we’ve failed.”

He said there was “absolutely no truth to that whatsoever” to prior rumours he was being asked to step down.

Mr Chalker’s contract is set to expire in November. The government was set to advise him by May as to whether it would be renewed.