‘Puppies and spa’ police scandal exposed

The NT Police Force has furiously refuted claims that one of its senior officers tried to entice a new recruit back to his house with promises of ‘puppies and a spa’.

The Northern Territory Police Force has refuted claims one of its senior officers tried to entice a new recruit back to his home.

The Northern Territory Police Force has furiously refuted claims that one of its senior officers tried to entice a new recruit back to his house with promises of “puppies and a spa”.

The probationary constable – who is now the subject of disciplinary action – allegedly claimed a senior member of NT police told her he had seen her running at 5am before inviting her to his house, mentioning that he had puppies and a spa, during her June graduation ceremony.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Bruce Porter has denied the story. He told The Weekend Australian on Friday that an investigation into the 30-year-old graduate proved she had made “false claims against a senior officer and shared those false claims with others”.

“The female recruit has been, and continues to be, the subject of internal managerial action and no further comment will be made in relation to the matter,” he said.

Commissioner Porter also hit out at a local online news outlet that on Thursday reported the allegations “as fact” and others who had spread the “false claims” on social media.

“Reporting false information by any individual or organisation through social media and other platforms is disgraceful and irresponsible,” he said.

“The use of such platforms to share commentary that purports to be the truth can have a powerful ripple effect, persuading others to see them as facts, and can have significant detrimental impact on the health and wellbeing of individuals and on their private lives.

“Such behaviour should not be tolerated by anyone, no matter who that person is,” Commissioner Porter said.

A Darwin news outlet on Thursday reported a “senior male NT police officer” was under ­investigation over the alleged invitation to the recruit along with his denials that he was being investigated or that he had made the comments.

The article claimed that the woman had reported the senior officer’s comments to her police college instructor, who had discouraged her from pursuing a complaint.