The Northern Territory Police traces its roots back to the South Australian Mounted Police from 1870 when Inspector
Paul Foelsche and six other police officers arrived in the Territory. A small rural constabulary (part-time force) had existed earlier but was disbanded. The
Native Police Corps was formed in 1884. Their role was mostly as a security force to protect the early inhabitants of the Northern Territory than as a police force. The current NTP came into existence in 1911. In 1931, the two Territories Central and Northern became the Northern Territory of Australia and the authority of the Commissioner of Police was established in the Administrator of the Northern Territory, in Darwin. In December 1869, the governor commissioned Paul Foelsche, a Corporal in the SA Mounted Police stationed at Strathalbyn, to be the first sub-inspector of police at Palmerston. He sailed for Darwin soon afterwards. The police uniform then worn in the Territory was the same as that worn in
South Australia. It consisted of a short cut-away blue serge tunic with nine regulation buttons, silver twisted cord shoulder knots, black braid on the sleeves and silver chevrons for non-commissioned officers. The riding breeches were dark blue corkscrew serge with a white stripe. The earliest firearms used were
Snider–Enfield rifles and carbines firing a
.577 calibre cartridge. Later,
Martini–Henry rifles were used, and
Webley revolvers were issued. Like their predecessors, the Rural Constabulary at
Escape Cliffs, the first detachment of police at Palmerston had as their first responsibility the maintenance of law and order in the community. The police were frequently engaged following the discovery of gold near
Pine Creek in 1872. Stations were established at
Adelaide River, Yam Creek,
Pine Creek,
Roper River and later at
Daly River. The first police fatality occurred in 1872 when Mounted Constable Davis, a noted swimmer, disobeyed a local Standing Order and swam in the sea. He was killed by a crocodile. Darwin's first police station was constructed of poles and plaster measuring by . The inspector lived nearby in three rooms. A small stone building with two cells was the accommodation for those in custody. These are now incorporated in the Administrator's offices on the Esplanade. In
Central Australia the police were part of the South Australian Mounted Police. Mounted Constable Shirley was the first mounted trooper in charge at Alice Springs (first called Stuart). At one time there were two Commissioners of Police in the Northern Territory: one for the Territory of
North Australia and one for the Territory of
Central Australia. In 1931, the two Territories became the Northern Territory of Australia and the authority of the Commissioner of Police was vested in the
Administrator of the Northern Territory, in
Darwin. On 1 July 1964, Clive William Graham, a police officer of long standing in the Territory, was appointed as Commissioner and the force as a whole was administered as part of the Public Service of the Northern Territory. In recent years, various cases have made national and international headlines: the end of the Petrov Affair occurred in Darwin; the 1968 month-long bush search for Larry-Boy who murdered his wife and seriously injured a stockman at
Elsey Station; and the 1971 attempted hijack of a plane at Alice Springs airport in which a Territory police officer, who was badly wounded, displayed great heroism. Events connected with search and rescue operations at sea, in swamps and the desert have also made the news. Auxiliaries and Aboriginal Community Police Officers. The Joint Emergency Services Communications Centre in Darwin has instant contact with all stations, vehicles, aircraft and vessels and provides for the Police, Fire, Emergency Services and St John Ambulance Service.
Female officers Females were accepted as officers prior or from 1960. In 1962, both male and female candidates had to be unmarried, male applicants aged 21 to 30 years of age, up to 35 years with previous police experience; yet female applicants had to be between 25 and 35 (unless previous police experience). By 1970, only female candidates had to be unmarried. Believed-to-be Australia's first female police motorcyclist, in April 1980, Constable Kate Vanderlaan rode a Honda 750 cc police special around Darwin. She later rose to be a deputy commissioner of the force.
Recent history In 1955, there were 80 police officers. As of June 2011, the number of sworn Police, Auxiliaries and Aboriginal Community Police Officers in the service was 1,381. In 1989, the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services were joined to become a Tri-Service. The Commissioner of Police also becoming the Chief Executive Officer for the Fire and Rescue Service and the Emergency Services. In July 2019, Commissioner
Reece Kershaw was appointed Commissioner of the
Australian Federal Police, after being at the helm of NT Police for five years. In 2012, the colour of the police uniform changed from
khaki to
blue following a ballot in 2011 in which nearly 60% of officers voted in favour of changing the colour to blue. The roll-out of the new blue uniform, with a new design including the word "Police" displayed on the back of the shirt, started in February 2012 and finished in July 2012. In May 2023, commissioner
Jamie Chalker abruptly resigned shortly before he was due to give evidence against the NT Government. In 2024, NT Police enforced a series of
curfews in Alice Springs. On 9 March 2025, Michael Murphy's employment as commissioner was terminated following the
ICAC's finding that Murphy had been engaged in a scandal that involved Murphy employing his close friend. Following this announcement Martin Dole became the acting commissioner. In June 2025, the Northern Territory government announced that transit safety and public housing safety officers would become part of the NTPF known as Police Public Safety Officers (PPSO), together with police auxiliaries, with training to commence in December 2025 and the officers to be operational in early 2026. PPSOs will wear NTPF uniforms and will be armed with firearms.
Organisational structure • Acting Commissioner: Martin Dole • Deputy Commissioner, People, Crime and Capability: Murray Smalpage • Deputy Commissioner, Operations and Road Safety:
Vacant • Assistant Commissioner, People and Cultural Reform: Bruce Porter • Assistant Commissioner, Crime, Intelligence and Capability: Michael White • Assistant Commissioner, Greater Darwin, Road Safety and Support: Travis Wurst • Assistant Commissioner, Regional and Remote Operations: Martin Dole ==Organisation==