Michael Murphy is the new Police Commissioner, Chief Minister Natasha Fyles has announced, more than four months after the former commissioner took a secret taxpayer-funded payout to leave the role.

Mr Murphy’s appointment to the top job follows the government appointing a marketing manager, who gives strategic advice on the “Territory master brand”, to the Chief Minister’s department to help decide what crimes are reported to the public.

His appointment also comes a week after NT Police Association president Nathan Finn told the union’s annual conference the force had gone through the most turbulent and challenging years in the history of NT policing.

Ms Fyles said Mr Murphy, who has been acting in the role since the departure of Jamie Chalker in April, would take on the role permanently, as well as that of the chief executive officer of Fire and Emergency Services.

She said he joined NT Police in 1997 and served in a “variety of urban and remote locations across the Territory”, was appointed to Assistant Commissioner in 2017 and was then appointed to Deputy Commissioner Operations in 2018.

In 2018, he was also awarded the Australian Police Medal.

Mr Murphy was present during a private meeting of the senior police executive in the days after Kumanjayi Walker was shot and killed by Constable Zach Rolfe, where the controversial decision was made to charge the officer with murder.

The meeting followed one between DPP director Jack Karczewski and deputy director Matthew Nathan, as well as Detective Superintendent Kirk Pennuto, Assistant Commissioner Nick Anticich, and Commander Martin Dole, who discussed a “mini brief” of evidence.

More recently Mr Murphy has faced internal criticism for not showing a desire to investigate a criminal complaint about Detective Wayne Newell’s alleged actions during the Rolfe investigation, having handballed it to the Ombudsman and the ICAC.

Chalker met with police executive before detectives told to charge Constable Zach Rolfe with murder

While Mr Murphy has been acting in the role, the NT Independent revealed that sources said he allowed marketing manager Sita Bacher, who gives strategic advice on the “Territory master brand” to the Chief Minister’s department, to be installed by an unknown person to help decide what crimes are reported to the public.

Ms Bacher’s spiel on her Linkedin biography states: “The team I lead provide strategic marketing advice and services for NT government agencies, whole of government campaigns, major projects and the Territory master brand”.

A week later, sources told the NT Independent that NT Police communications director Margaret McKeown was sacked without explanation, with those sources also saying the Darwin police media unit office was suspected to be bugged by the executive, following the secret video surveillance of the Alice Springs police media office last year, which was used to lay contested charges against a media officer for disclosing information.

Police media unit staff were also questioned by detectives after the NT Independent revealed Ms Bacher had been installed to censor crime reporting.

Ms Bacher’s appointment followed public anger at the level of crime, which precipitated Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s visit to Alice Springs in January because of the political pressure around crime in the Territory.

Public anger heightened in Darwin in March after Airport Tavern BWS employee Declan Laverty, 20, was stabbed and killed while at work, which was followed by a number of stabbing deaths on Darwin’s streets.

Ms Fyles said that along with reducing the rate of crime, domestic violence and anti-social behaviour across the Territory, Mr Murphy is also committed to leading a strong and united workforce that prioritises employee wellbeing and retention.

“Michael has a wealth of knowledge and experience of policing in the Territory and is someone who understands his workforce and wants the best for his officers,” Ms Fyles said.

“The role of Police Commissioner and CEO of Fire and Emergency Services is one of the most challenging roles in the Territory, but I know Michael is the right person for the job and is committed to addressing the complex issues we face here in the Territory.”

Mr Finn said he looked forward to “continuing a constructive and consultative relationship” with Mr Murphy.

“Our members deserve a Commissioner that will have their best interests’ at the fore, and support the incredibly challenging work they do each and every day,” he said.

Last August, a majority of police members voted that they had no confidence in Mr Chalker to continue in the role. There were 1,044 officers who took part in the survey out of 1,608 who were eligible, which the union had said was the highest number of participants ever.

Nearly 80 per cent said they did not have confidence in the commissioner.

Mr Chalker refused to resign at the time and was not sacked by the Police Minister, instead he issued a statement saying his focus was on the “health and well-being of all of our members”.

In February, the NTPA released results of a survey which found 85 per cent of NT Police who responded to the survey said they had considered an exit strategy from the force in the last six to 12 months, and that 97 per cent of respondents did not believe there are enough police to do what is asked of them.

It was reported in April that Ms Fyles sent Mr Chalker a letter on March 31, in which she made four allegations against the former commissioner, calling for him to resign.

Instead, he sued the government and settled for what is estimated to be a seven-figure payout to announce his “retirement” shortly before he was required to file a brief of evidence with the court that would have contained communications between Ms Fyles and Police Minister Kate Worden.