The Independent Commissioner Against Corruption (ICAC) NT has today released the outcome of its investigation into the conduct of members of the Northern Territory Police Force’s Territory Response Group (TRG).
The investigation, titled Operation Beaufort, was established to examine:
- Whether members of the Territory Response Group (TRG), tactical unit of the Northern Territory Police Force (NTPF) at any time in the past 12 years issued awards that are objectively racist, thereby constituting improper conduct on the part of those members under the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Act 2017 (ICAC Act).
- Whether statutory declarations prepared by five members of the TRG contained false information and if so, whether the deponents to those declarations knew that to be the case, thereby constituting potential criminal conduct and/ or improper conduct.
The ICAC and internal investigation has now concluded, with no adverse findings made against any member of the NT Police.
The ICAC concluded that there is no admissible evidence of any conduct of the five named police officers which warrants any further investigation of any potential charge against them.
The Northern Territory Police Force today formally accepted the conclusions of the ICAC Report.
“The Northern Territory Police Force has made and will continue to make significant strides in driving institutional change. We are committed to creating and delivering on a culture of safety, integrity, accountability, and professionalism. There is no place for racism or discrimination within our ranks,” said Commissioner of Police, Michael Murphy.
The ICAC Delegate acknowledged the important advancement and work being undertaken by the police force, particularly with the work of Executive Director, Leanne Liddle, to reform culture through employment opportunities, training and an anti-racism strategy.
In August, Commissioner Murphy made a formal apology to the Indigenous Communities of the Northern Territory. In his statement, Commissioner Murphy expressed his intention to confront uncomfortable truths about the police service’s historical and ongoing impacts on the Aboriginal Communities and he committed to a future of reconciliation and justice.
“The Northern Territory Police Force remain fully committed to maintaining public trust and ensuring that any concerns raised are thoroughly investigated and appropriately addressed,” said Commissioner Murphy.
“We continue to learn from and acknowledge our past and build on this important work together to reform and future proof the Northern Territory Police Force.”
The ICAC report is available to read here.
