An ambitious plan to eliminate racism in the Northern Territory Police Force has finally been released, with dozens of identified actions to be implemented over the next two years despite expected pushback, including reducing racial profiling, empowering Aboriginal communities to address and reduce crime and accepting that previous policing practices have led to distrust of police by Indigenous people.
The plan comes amid silence from Chief Minister and Police Minister Lia Finocchiaro, who has stated on numerous occasions that racism does not exist in the police, and follows the executive’s failure to hold five police officers who lied on statutory declarations to account for their actions in engaging in racist award certificates over many years in the TRG unit and lying to the Coroner about it.
None of it will matter because the racist activists will just point to the per capita arrests/incarceration rates of Aboriginal people and falsely claim ongoing racism.
As to the 30% employment rate at all levels of the police… good luck with that. Many businesses have tried for many years to hire and employ Aboriginal people but it never works in the long run. Sure, there are some individual success stories, but on the whole it just doesn’t work.
Leanne Liddle is an intelligent, honourable and formidable woman with an abiding commitment to justice and the rights of citizenship. If embraced, her report will be a foundation stone for better policing and community relations. Leanne is also a wonderful model for young Territorians to emulate.
Charlie, I fully agree with your description of Leanne Liddle.
The Police were brave to appoint her to this role, and must be serious about reform.
Behaviour revealed during the Coronial Inquest was appalling.