Alice Springs Station without a dedicated welfare officer before 26-year-old took his own life

Police bureaucrats refuse to answer questions over officer welfare after a young Alice Springs cop took his own life.

POLICE bureaucrats refuse to answer questions over officer welfare after a young Alice Springs cop took his own life.

The police union has called for a dedicated welfare officer for the Alice Springs station after a 26-year-old Aboriginal Community Police Officer passed away following a suicide last weekend.

The NT News has chosen not to name the 26-year-old man for cultural reasons.

Assistant Commissioner Bruce Porter confirmed his loss to the NT Police family, saying this loss marked a “traumatic period” for his loved ones, friends and colleagues.

The police union has voiced its “disappoint(ment)” at the lack of mental health support to officers, even after a major independent review of welfare services this year.

Northern Territory Police Association President Paul McCue said the young officer’s suicide occurred when there was no full-time face-to-face supports in the Alice Springs Station.

“The NTPA are very disappointed in the removal of the full time Wellbeing and Health Officer in the absence of any other full-time face-to-face option for our members in Alice Springs,” Mr McCue said.

The police union leader said the Alice Springs chaplain had also recently resigned, with no replacement currently in the role.

“For years the Police Force has tried to attract a Psych to Alice Springs and this has never been achieved,” Mr McCue said.

Police Union Boss Paul McCue. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

“Our members are calling on the reinstatement of a full-time support person until such time as an alternative can be offered,” he said.

“Not simply an interstate after hours telephone service with no understanding of local issues, people or their needs.

The young Alice Springs officer was the fourth confirmed suicide among former or current NT Police officer this year.

In April, 44-year-old Michael ‘Micky D’ Deutrom took his own life.

Days before his police memorial, his colleagues were told of the suicide of retired Senior Sergeant Garry Smith in May.

During his memorial speech for Mr Deutrom, Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker pledged to reform mental health services for his officers.

His comments were soon met with fury from current and former officers, who said critical recommendations were not being implemented as quickly as they should.

In May, deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison confirmed an independent review into the NTPFES Support and Wellbeing service had been completed, with work underway to implement the recommendations.

But a month on, Mr McCue said the union was “unsure” what recommendations had been implemented.

“We are unsure at this stage, other than some information being disseminated regarding certain actions to be taken,” he said.

“We are writing to the Commissioner to seek clarity on this issue.

“It was the NTPA who called for an independent review into support services for Police, Fire and Emergency Services.

“We recognised the Support and Wellbeing section had been underfunded and understaffed for far too long, and this was impacting on their ability to do a lot of proactive work for our members and their families.

“More definitely needs to be done, and this requires appropriate investment.”

The NT News asked NT PFES to respond to questions relating to welfare support in Alice Springs and how the review’s recommendations were being implemented across the Territory.

NT Police refused to respond, saying “We will be doing media around PFES Health and Wellbeing next week”.

A spokeswoman sent the NT News links to Mindframe and the Northern Territory Suicide Prevention Strategy, neither documents directly relate to the NT Police’s internal wellbeing services.

Originally published as Alice Springs Station without a dedicated welfare officer before 26-year-old took his own life