Aboriginal NT police officers allege ‘countless incidents’ of racial discrimination in human rights complaint
In short:
A group of Aboriginal community police officers are claiming they were subject to decades of racial discrimination and vilification within the NT Police Force.
Their complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission includes allegations of offensive and derogatory language and receiving less pay than their non-Indigenous colleagues for similar work.
What’s next?
Their lawyers will seek to have the matter mediated before potentially pursing legal action in the Federal Court.
A group of Aboriginal police officers in the Northern Territory claim they have been subjected to “countless incidents” of racial discrimination and bullying by other officers, according to a complaint made to the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC).
WARNING: This story contains racist and offensive language.
Sydney-based law firm Levitt Robinson announced last week it had lodged a representative complaint against the NT government and the NT police commissioner of behalf of three currently serving Aboriginal police officers with NT Police.
Their complaint, seen by the ABC, detailed allegations of racial vilification and unequal systems of pay dating back to 1998.
Among the allegations were instances of non-Indigenous colleagues suggesting Aboriginal officers were lazy, and referring to Aboriginal people as “black c***s”, “coons” and “black dogs”.
One of the three complainants, Shawn Lewfatt, has been employed as an Aboriginal Community Police Officer (ACPO) for 26 years and is the longest serving ACPO in the Darwin region.
The other complainants include NT Police Association executive member Lisa Burkenhagen, as well a Senior Constable First Class within the NT Police Force, who served as an ACPO for one year in 2010.
ACPOs are uniformed sworn police officers who work closely with local Indigenous communities as part of their policing duties.
They are different to auxiliary officers, who support frontline police and often work as liquor inspectors or undertake watch house duties.
Complaint details allegations of racist behaviour
The complaint detailed numerous alleged examples of ACPOs being subjected to racist and offensive language by fellow officers, which they said contributed to stereotyping and stigmatisation of Aboriginal officers as being “lazy and useless”.
The allegations include ACPOs being referred to as “SLACPOs” by non-Indigenous colleagues.
In one example, an ACPO alleged being told by a Senior Constable “you don’t deserve to get paid – yous do f*** all”.
In another example, an ACPO alleged he was told by a Senior Constable “run and see how far you get before I shoot you”.
The complaint also detailed allegations of systematic discrimination through pay and responsibilities of ACPOs compared with officers in similarly ranked positions.
The complaint alleges that while ACPOs and auxiliaries are considered equal within the NT Police Force hierarchy, “auxiliaries have historically been paid more than ACPOs and were granted more favourable working conditions”.
In one alleged incident, an ACPO recalled being required to arrest people accused of murder, manslaughter, aggravated assaults, and sexual assaults, as well as attending fatal accidents and performing duties normally carried out by constables or sergeants.
The complaint alleged such practises “foster a racist culture in which ACPOs are considered less valuable than other members of the NT Police Force despite, to a large degree, being asked to do the same work”.
It also claimed structural inequities were “part of a broader culture of racism in the [force], which the commissioner has failed to take adequate steps to address”.
The complainants are seeking an apology from the NT government and the police commissioner for “unlawfully discriminating against ACPOs”, as well as financial compensation.
The lawyers said they would pursue legal action in the Federal Court if the matter cannot be resolved through mediation.
Allegations follow months of scrutiny of NT Police
The complaint comes after damaging allegations of racist behaviour within NT Police were aired at a coronial inquest examining the 2019 shooting death of Kumanjayi Walker.
The court heard mock racist awards were handed out among members of an elite policing unit, as well as evidence of racist language used in private text messages among officers.
NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy revealed on the stand that he had known about the racist awards for six months before they were made public, but did not take action.
Last month, during a sweeping public apology to Indigenous Territorians at Garma Festival, Commissioner Murphy committed to “eliminating racism” within NT Police by developing a new “anti-racism strategy”.
While he would not comment directly on the human rights complaint, he said in a statement the force was “invested in cultural reform, and continuing to make progress for a safe workplace”.
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