Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro rules out making Nightcliff Police Station operational

In the wake of a death that has rocked the Darwin community, the Chief Minister says she has no intention of making Nightcliff Police Station operational.

The Chief Minister and Police Commissioner said they have no plans to make the Nightcliff Police Station operational, despite a renewed tide of calls from the public.

The $12m station opened in 2021, and was promised as a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week general duties police station by the previous Labor government.

It has been essentially non-operational since.

Nightcliff Police Station is on Progress Drive. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

After the tragic alleged murder of Nightcliff Friendly Grocer owner Linford Feick on Wednesday – the shop is located opposite the station – Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro conceded on Thursday “it is not a fully operational, functional station”.

“Policing is conducted from there, but not in the sense that everyday Territorians would expect,” Mrs Finocchiaro said.

The Chief Minister refused to commit further resources to man the station in line with community demands.

She blamed the former Labor government for building a station that “never ever should have been built”.

Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro announces strengthened bail laws will be introduced in parliament next week. Picture: Darcy Fitzgerald

“The resourcing and operational model isn’t there for Nightcliff Police Station to operate differently than what it is now,” the Chief Minister said.

Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst said even if the station was operational, police’s ten minute response time to the alleged murder on Wednesday would not have been quicker, despite the station sitting just 20m from the scene.

Mr Wurst said the alleged murder on Wednesday happened “so quickly” that a manned Nightcliff station would not have been able to do anything. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“It was a high operational tempo day with lots of operational jobs,” Mr Wurst said.

“It wouldn’t have necessarily made a difference.”

Seven hours after the alleged stabbing, an 18-year-old man handed himself in to police. 

He has been charged with murder and will appear in Darwin Local Court for the first time on Monday.

Owner of Choi’s Chicken, Jiwon Choi, located at the nearby Nightcliff Shopping Centre told this masthead a recent spike in youth crime in the area had threatened the family’s business.

Jiwon Choi of Choi's Chicken would like to see Nightcliff Police Station operational.

“Recently there’s been an increase in the crime level, especially associated with teenagers,” Ms Choi said.

“So we asked the police if they could install the CCTV system (mobile surveillance unit) to improve safety.”

Ms Choi said resourcing the nearby police station to make it operational would be even better.

The Choi family lobbied for and received a police mobile surveillance CCTV unit now located in the car park opposite Choi’s Chicken, a souvlaki shop, and Subway at the shopping centre.

“I definitely think that police station should be enhanced so it can actually serve its purpose,” she said.

“I would feel safer.”

Local woman Bec said she was struck by a rock while driving past Litchfield Court just meters from the station in August, 2024.

She was nine months pregnant at the time.

“I felt the rock fly past my face – it could’ve ended in a fatality of two lives if it had hit me,” Bec said.

“Police didn’t even attend after.

“I sat sobbing in my car in shock and all I got was a promise number so I could claim.”

Ms Zaf was initially confident the police station would make the community safer, but said she has since been left down. Picture: Darcy Fitzgerald

Kathy Zaf of Alleykatz barber shop at Nightcliff Village says she was assaulted opposite the station in December last year.

She wants to see it operational as promised.

“It’s very simple – a manned police station is much more effective than what we have now.

“More police presence equals less crime in the area.”

Opposition leader Selena Uibo said Labor, while they had been in power, had a “clear plan” to staff the station “fully”, after calls from the community for a greater police presence.

“When we left government, the Territory Safety Division was based at Nightcliff and the station was well on the way to full operational capacity,” Ms Uibo said.

“Territorians deserve leadership that delivers results and makes people safer, not just spin and public relations.”

Originally published as Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro rules out making Nightcliff Police Station operational