The first squad of Police Auxiliary Liquor Inspectors will today graduate from their 13-week training program.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Squad 55, comprising of 18 inspectors will start active duties tomorrow in Alice Springs.
Katherine will have to wait until next year for the new grog cops to start arriving here.
Katherine is set to receive 22 of the new police auxiliaries to take over bottle shop duties from regular police.
The first auxiliaries are likely to arrive in Katherine in late January or early February next year.
They are the first cohort of 97-member strong unit within NT Police (75 liquor inspectors, 12 police officers specifically targeting secondary supply, seven operational staff and three prosecutors).
The Police Auxiliary Liquor Inspectors will deliver a stronger police presence at bottle shops in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Katherine.
They have the power to:
- intervene and stop sales at take away liquor outlets
- question anyone purchasing or planning to buy alcohol to clarify their ID, address and whether they or anyone they plan to supply alcohol to is prohibited from drinking alcohol
- seize and destroy alcohol where necessary
- prevent people from entering or remaining on a licensed premises and to order a licensee not to sell to a person for the day
- to carry the same accoutrements as police officers, and have the ability to arrest and detain offenders.
They are intended to return police officers back to the front line and back to their core duties.
Recruitment for Squad 56 is underway, with training starting in September.
The NT Police Association has said it was unhappy with the liquor licensing role of auxiliaries.
Chris McLennan
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
