The Northern Territory's police commissioner has said the Top End's police are facing the "hard truths" with a new anti-racism strategy and action plan.
The newly-appointed Commissioner Martin Dole described the strategy as pivotal.
"The Northern Territory Police Force has faced some hard truths about our past, but we must face them head on," he said at a press conference in Alice Springs on Thursday.
"It's a path forward, it's about building a police force that truly reflects the territory that we serve."
Its creation was lead by former police officer and Executive Director of Cultural Reform at NT Police, Leanne Liddle.
"It is about accepting that racism has informed the structures that have shaped policing for generations," the Arrernte woman said.
"This strategy is about confronting that reality."
A history of racism at NT Police
The development of an anti-racism strategy was announced at the annual Garma festival in 2024 by the former NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy.
The announcement was delivered with an apology to First Nations people in the NT, for past hurt caused by the NT Police Force.
The announcement followed revelations of an entrenched culture of racism at NT Police, made public during the high-profile coronial inquest into the police shooting death of Kumanjayi Walker.
The 19-year-old Warlpiri man was fatally shot by then Constable Zachary Rolfe during a bungled arrest in his home community of Yuendumu, 300km northwest of Alice Springs.
Evidence given at the coronial inquest into Mr Walker's death revealed instances of racism at all levels within the NT Police Force.
Those included, mock racist awards handed out by the elite Territory Response Group, and a normalised culture of racist language.
In her findings handed down in July this year, NT Coroner Elisabeth Armitage found Mr Walker's death was avoidable, and could not rule out whether racism played a part.
'Fairer and more accountable police force'
The announcement revealed the first stage of the anti-racism action plan, which is set to be delivered by 2027.
It includes the delivery of anti-racism training to all employees, providing tools to identify racism, and improving processes to protect victims of racism.
The plan also aims to increase First Nations employment to 30 per cent across all staffing levels at NT police, to match the Aboriginal population in the Northern Territory.
"We know we can't fix what we cant face," Leanne Liddle said.
"Today is all about launching a road map that ensures that we are a professional, fairer and more accountable police force that serves and protects everyone."
'An important step towards addressing systemic racism'
The Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT) has cautiously welcomed the anti-racism strategy.
"We had hoped for the inclusion of Aboriginal community representatives in the oversight of implementation of the strategy, as well as an independent mechanism to investigate complaints against police, but this is a good first step," AMSANT Chair Rob McPhee said in a statement.
Mr McPhee said the success of the strategy hinges on actions to implement it and ensuring it is adequately resourced.
"The success of this strategy will depend on what happens next, including ensuring that its implementation is properly resourced," Mr McPhee said.
"There must be real powers, transparent processes and consequences to investigate and act on racism when it occurs," he continued.
"Without that, this will become yet another wasted opportunity for critical reform—and that would be unacceptable.”
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