The Fyles Government’s “insulting” pay rise offer of two per cent annually for the next three years to police will intensify the exodus of officers quitting their jobs each year to join interstate police forces, causing further crisis in the force, the union representing the NT’s police officers warns.

The NT’s officer attrition rate already leads the nation at more than 10 per cent, equating to 160 officers leaving the force every year.

The NT Police Association’s warning comes ahead of EBA negotiations re-starting after first commencing a year ago and while low morale in the ranks continues.

“The only offer our members have had from the government is an insulting two per cent, per annum, for the next three years… members had been without a pay raise for 18 months… they should be offered a decent pay raise,” NT Police Association acting president Owen Blackwell said.

“Our members were surged to Alice Springs to deal with out-of-control crime, dealt with flooding emergencies following Cyclone Ellie, as well as dealing with the day-to-day policing of escalating domestic violence, youth crime, and alcohol-fuelled harm, crime and violence.”

The NTPA has previously said the police force is at its breaking point and have been over-stretched in recent times dealing with the high rate of violent crimes across the Territory.

“Why would our members stay when they’re being offered such a woeful deal by the NT government?” Mr Blackwell said, adding the 10 per cent annual attrition rate was alarming.

“That means we can expect to lose at least 160 officers each year – that’s not sustainable and is not indicative of a healthy police force.

“Victoria Police announced it will contact more than 40,000 potential recruits … in the state’s biggest ever recruitment drive.

“Meanwhile, the Department of Defence is still recruiting to bolster its numbers by an additional 20,000.”

Comparatively, Queensland Police accepted a government offer of a four per cent raise in year one, another four per cent in the second year, and a three per cent pay increase in the third year, plus 18 per cent superannuation.

Under the agreed terms, Queensland Police also get a yearly payment of up to 3 per cent of their salary if the CPI surpasses yearly salary increases.

Meanwhile, Western Australia Police recently rejected wage increase offers ranging from 3 to 5.3 per cent annually, plus a $3,000 bonus.

Police Minister Kate Worden said this week she is hopeful an agreement can be reached, but insisted that the NT Police’s current recruitment drive was providing “record number” of new recruits. She also claimed the police’s long-delayed “wellbeing strategy” was still “being formulated now”.

“Most of [the recruits] are Territorians so we know people locally want to join our police force,” she said.

“We’ve got to make sure these are jobs people want to take on – that they’re being looked after.”