Territory Safety Division to be permanently based at Nightcliff Police Station, $16m funding boost

The Northern Territory’s crack crime response unit has been gifted a $16m year-on-year funding boost and will welcome more than 30 additional officers into its ranks.

Brent Potter (right) has announced $16 million year-on-year funding for the Territory Safety Division (TSD).

The Northern Territory’s crack crime response unit has been gifted a $16m year-on-year funding boost and will welcome more than 30 additional officers into its ranks.

On Friday, the Police Minister Brent Potter also announced that from July the Territory Safety Division (TSD) would be permanently based out of the Nightcliff Police Station.

NT Police in December 2023 announced that the then newly-formed TSD would be based at Nightcliff station.

The 19-member unit will also grow by 33 officers, bringing the original 19-member unit to a grand total of 52.

Police Minister Brent Potter on Friday said the funding would equip the TSD with new vehicles and kit for operations across the northern suburbs and beyond.

“This is good for the NT police force,” he said.

“It is good for Territorians and it will bring crime under control in the northern suburbs – but not just the northern suburbs (but) across the wider Territory.”

Assistant Commissioner Janelle Tonkin hailed the announcement as “very exciting” and said the TSD had unique skills in alcohol policing and community engagement which would “supplement” existing police efforts.

“We hear Territorians, I see the crime statistics and data (and) there is a need to have additional police officers and what the TSD does is provide support to the officers that we call general duties officers.”

The launch of the Territory Safety Division with then Chief Minister Natasha Fyles (second from right) in December 2023.

Founded under Mr Potter in December 2023, the TSD have accrued a significant operational hours already in response to crime spikes across the Top End and Red Centre.

“The TSD has proven the goods – they’ve deployed to Wadeye, deployed to Katherine, deployed to Operation Grimmel in Alice Springs during the curfew and more recently to Don Dale (riot),” Mr Potter said.

“They are a highly effective policing capability.”

Mr Potter was asked if the $12 million Nightcliff police station, which does not operate after 10.00pm, would be manned full-time in line with the government’s pledge to open the station 24 hours a day.

“It will be 24/7 with the TSD officers (arriving),” he said.

“I’ve made it very clear before – retention and growing police numbers has been difficult, we’re putting the resources in now to get this station with the people that it requires.”

On Thursday, the NT Government committed $200m to recruit an extra 200 police officers to the Territory over four years.

Mr Potter said the 52 officers would be “completely separate” to the 200 announced on Wednesday and are also separate to the 25 emergency call-takers which the government committed $22m towards on Thursday.

“It brings the total Labor government commitment to the NT Police force (to more than) 277 officers,” he said.

Originally published as Territory Safety Division to be permanently based at Nightcliff Police Station, $16m funding boost