Northern Territory Police will soon have expanded powers to enter properties without warrants to address parole and domestic violence breaches. Supporters say the move will enhance safety, particularly for women at risk, while others warn of potential overreach.
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00:00Police powers are about to expand.
00:06Anything that happens where we can actually get in there
00:09and stop harm happening before it happens,
00:12where we can prevent another tragic incident occurring,
00:16is something that everybody in this community should be welcoming.
00:19Under proposed new legislation, police will have the power
00:23to enter residential properties without a warrant on reasonable grounds,
00:27such as to arrest people in breach of parole.
00:30So now it gives us the opportunity to assure ourselves
00:33that that person is not actually on their premises
00:35and we've got the power to enter those premises.
00:37But increased police powers come with concerns
00:40about the abuses of that power.
00:42We want to make sure that any amendments to legislation
00:46are forever striking the right balance between safety
00:50and ensuring particularly safety in domestic family violence situations
00:55as well as people's rights to live safely in their home.
00:59The laws are set to be debated in Parliament this week,
01:02but both police and the legal sector say they haven't been consulted
01:06on whether they're fit for use.
01:08We haven't had those briefings as part of this legislative change,
01:11which is somewhat unusual.
01:14It would boggle the mind that an amendment such as this
01:17wouldn't similarly be given the time to ensure that it is best placed
01:21and of right fit for our community.
01:24Briefing or not, the powers are expected to pass Parliament
01:28as a matter of urgency.