The president of the Northern Territory Police Association (NTPA) says its members are concerned about the end of alcohol bans in dozens of Aboriginal communities, due to expire in July.
The bans were introduced during the NT Emergency Response — known as the NT Intervention — in 2007 and have continued under Stronger Futures legislation since 2012.
The Racial Discrimination Act was suspended in the NT for the alcohol ban to be enacted.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner has said the government would not continue "racist" restrictions and individual communities would soon be able to decide whether they wanted to continue the bans or not.
Minister for Health and Alcohol Policy Natasha Fyles said legislation before parliament that would give communities the ability to opt in to continuing the bans for two more years was "the best way forward".
"We very much believe in local decision-making from our communities," she said.
"We've got some communities that want to get a liquor licence and they are well down that path. This will allow them to do that."
Police association calls for pause
NTPA president Paul McCue said officers were concerned about how lifting the alcohol bans could impact domestic and family violence, assaults and road offences.
Mr McCue said the NTPA had not been involved in consultation with the government and he questioned how prepared the government was for handling changes to alcohol legislation.
"We certainly hope they press the pause button, even momentarily, just for a short time, to allow some full and effective consultation with all the key stakeholders in this," he said.
Police Minister Nicole Manison said the government had been considering the impacts to police, particularly those in rural and remote areas, for some time.
"We have been moving from two-person stations to three-person stations, we have made sure some of our bigger communities have had additional resources so we have less strain on them," she said.
"It's time for people to make their own decisions ... take responsibility and look at those plans [about] how they manage alcohol in their communities."
