Police officers in some remote Indigenous communities are working up to 70 hours overtime a fortnight and living in 15-year-old shipping containers, the union representing police officers in the Northern Territory says.
There has been a renewed focus on the working conditions and welfare of police in far flung parts of the NT after two officers were injured during an incident in the community of Daly River earlier this week, in which an axe was allegedly thrown at their vehicle.
There has also been a flare-up of violence in Peppimenarti in recent months, where only two police officers are permanently stationed and residents say violence is going unaddressed.
Northern Territory Police Association (NTPA) president Paul McCue said officers in some communities were so busy responding to call-outs, they were going weeks without a day off and in some instances racking up 70 hours of overtime a fortnight.
He said NT Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker had committed early in his tenure to bolster staffing, especially in areas only staffed by two officers.
"We don't want to have two-member stations … and the commissioner committed to having a minimum of three [member stations]," Mr McCue said.
"That needs to come with funding and infrastructure."
Figures provided by the NTPA show there are up to 12 stations in the NT that are still only staffed by two police officers, out of about 45 regional and remote stations.
Mr McCue blamed decades of inadequate funding by territory governments for the situation.
The union also blasted the use of shipping containers as police facilities and housing in some remote communities, which were installed as a temporary measure at the time of the 2007 Intervention.
NTPA figures show shipping containers are still being used as police stations in 11 remote areas, and are being used for housing as well in most of the those places.
"They are completely unsuitable, not fit for purpose and should be shut down," Mr McCue said.
NT Police has been contacted for comment.
Government defends handling of police infrastructure, staffing
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday morning, Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said housing for frontline staff in remote communities was a key issue for her government.
"We did see during the Intervention some temporary resources placed into the territory," she said.
Ms Fyles said long-term investment in housing for remote frontline workers was the subject of negotiations between the NT and federal governments.
But she also pointed to the need for more investment into social programs to address disadvantage.
"In terms of police, we have provided a 30 per cent additional funding to the police budget," she said.
"The commissioner makes decisions each and every day about where police go."
While saying it was "fair enough" for the government to focus on the complex issues behind challenges faced in remote communities, Mr McCue said immediate issues in policing needed addressing urgently.
He criticised spending on "white elephants", such as on a new station in the Darwin suburb of Nightcliff, while infrastructure and staffing in remote communities struggled.
"The here and now is the reality — our members are suffering because of a lack of numbers. 97 per cent [of officers] have told us in our recent survey they don't have enough people to do the job," he said.
"If that doesn't alarm the government, I don't know what's going to."
