Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker has taken indefinite leave with Deputy Commissioner Michael Murphy appointed acting commissioner, following reports the Fyles Government finally asked Mr Chalker to resign on Friday, after years of controversy.

Mr Chalker’s unannounced leave was first reported by Sky News and the NT Independent has independently confirmed from reliable sources that Mr Chalker has taken indefinite leave.

The news of Mr Chalker’s “indefinite leave” started making the rounds on Saturday morning, shortly after the NT Independent ran an April Fool’s Day story that Mr Chalker had been given a new four-year contract, which highlighted the absurdity of why he remained in the position.

Sources with knowledge of the situation told the NT Independent his leave was not an April Fool’s Day joke and that it was unlikely he would return to the role.

It is unclear what exactly led to Mr Chalker’s indefinite leave, but reports suggested the government had finally told him they had lost confidence in him and requested that he resign.

On Saturday evening, acting Commissioner Michael Murphy sent an internal broadcast to all members saying Mr Chalker was “currently on approved leave”.

The memo did address reports that Mr Chalker was asked to resign.

“NTPFES have not received any official announcements from the NT Government regarding Commissioner Chalker,” the brief memo said.

It has been widely speculated Mr Chalker’s current contract was for four years, which would expire in November.

Mr Chalker was deeply unpopular with the NT Police’s rank-and-file during his time as the NT’s top cop, coming into the role shortly after the 2019 Yuendumu shooting with criticism levelled at his handling of that matter from the beginning.

An August 2022 NT Police Association survey found that nearly 80 per cent of respondents had no confidence in Mr Chalker to continue in the role, but Mr Chalker repeatedly downplayed the results and refused to resign.

The number one reason offered for why Mr Chalker had lost the confidence of his officers was his handling of the Yuendumu matter and Constable Zach Rolfe.

A more recent NTPA survey in February found 85 per cent of current officers had considered an exit strategy, but again neither Mr Chalker nor the government addressed the problems in the police force.

Mr Chalker has also been the subject of an Independent Commissioner Against Corruption investigation into allegations of political interference in the charging of Constable Rolfe with murder over the shooting death of Kumanjayi Walker in 2019.

ICAC Michael Riches has stated his report is complete but will not be released until the coronial inquest into Mr Walker’s death is finalised.

Questions have also been raised around Mr Chalker’s involvement in the murder investigation into Constable Rolfe and allegations of potentially perverting the course of justice. Rolfe was found not guilty by a Supreme Court jury last March.

Last November, Mr Chalker appeared outside the coronial inquest as it wrapped up for the year, sitting in the grass outside court with members of Mr Walker’s family and telling the ABC that the “inquest is all about a search for the truth” and that “there’s been a fair bit of mischief in the past, this is the opportunity for that to come out”.

He added then that his personal popularity had “changed dramatically since a lot of truth has come out,” adding that the attrition rate had “dropped markedly”. He had previously pledged not to discuss the inquest until it was finalised out of respect for the legal processes.

One source told the NT Independent that police in stations across the NT were quietly celebrating the news of Mr Chalker’s leave on Saturday.

Mr Chalker was forced just last week to deny reported rumours he was resigning. It was the second time he publicly refuted reports of his resignation.