Martin Dole is the Northern Territory's latest top cop following the sudden departure of Commissioner Michael Murphy over the jobs for mates scandal. But as the Chief Minister begins the process of terminating Mr Murphy's employment, questions remain about the recruitments he made while he was commissioner.
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00:00Stepping in with a bang as the Northern Territory's new top brass.
00:07Thank you for coming.
00:08Long-term Territory Police Officer Martin Dole handed the job of acting NT Police Commissioner,
00:14two days after ousted top cop Michael Murphy was given his marching orders over an ICAC finding of improper conduct.
00:21Obviously the police force is hurting.
00:23We've had a tumultuous decade in relation to leadership in the Northern Territory Police Force,
00:28but they're focused on continuing to do their jobs and keep the community safe.
00:32A veteran cop who graduated from the academy in the same year as the outgoing commissioner.
00:37Public trust in the executive and morale in the rank and file, top of the list of priorities.
00:43I'm just getting on with the business of serving the people of the Northern Territory
00:47and making sure that our police officers feel supported.
00:49Michael Murphy was stood down after helping a good friend get a senior job in the police force
00:55and chairing the panel that hired him.
00:57The police union now also questioning more than a dozen other appointments during Michael Murphy's tenure,
01:03despite Mr Murphy saying all appointments had merit.
01:07We're quite concerned and our members are as well.
01:09How would you feel if you were on these panels and you were going for promotion,
01:12you didn't get a promotion, then find out that it wasn't actually above board?
01:16If there are accusations or speculation that other people have been recruited in the same way by Michael Murphy,
01:24then they need to report it to ICAC.
01:26The new acting commissioner today confirming he had been a panellist in the same recruitment process
01:32that saw the downfall of Michael Murphy.
01:34As the acting deputy commissioner at the time, it was totally appropriate that I was on that panel.
01:40The assistant commissioner hasn't made it clear if he'll apply to keep the job for the long haul.
01:45Regardless, some are calling for the next police commissioner of the Northern Territory
01:49to hail from outside the force, interstate.
01:52It's probably time that we looked at outsourcing the management of the Northern Territory Police Service
01:57for the same reasons. We are too close, there's no separation.
02:02A new chapter after an abrupt ending to the last.