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The Police Force has been with Tennant Creek from the very beginning. Police have patrolled through this area since the 1870's.

The frrst policeman was not stationed at Tennant Creek until late 1933.

Mounted Police Constable Frank Cameron was the first permanent policeman tationed at Tennant Creek. The fir t journal entry recorded by Cameron in

relation to Tennant Creek is dated 1st December 1933.

On 8th October, 1934. Mounted Constable Gordon Stott attended at Tennant Creek on temporary transfer and took over from Mounted Constable Cameron.

On 17th ovember 1934 Mounted Con table Lynch took over a Officer in Charge and Stott stayed on until he was replaced by Mounted Constable Birt on 11th April 1935.

Mounted Constable Lynch was transferred to Barrow Creek on 25th September 1935 and he was replaced at Tennant Creek by Mounted Constable Reid, who was accompanied by his family.

Mounted Constable Stott was retransferred to Tennant Creek on 27th October 1935, which gave the station three men.

The first police station was a 'Tent Station' at what is now the old homestead on the banks of Tennant Creek. This station remained there until 1935 when it was n1oved to Paterson Street.

Accommodation and living condition t the time were far from perfect. In a letter to the Administrator on 9th September 1935, Superintendent A.V. Stretton tated in part:

Constables Lynch and Birt are stationed here (Tennant Creek), the former being in charge, Lynch is living in two back rooms of the Government Offices. the two front rooms being used at present as an office for Police and Warden respectively. This arrangement is unsatisfactory and will be remedied on erection of the Police Station about the end of October. Constable Birt is living in a tent at present and on cornpletion of the Police station should be allocated one of the roo"LS at pre ent occupied by Constable Lynch. This arrangement will have the advantage of the second Constable sleeping in the vicinity of the cells"

Later Superintendent Stretton also tated

"Water ts rationed to 40 gallons for each person daily. The cost for Police u e is 3d per gallon".

The new Police t tion wa order d from Sidney William . It wa teel framed and clad with corrug ted iron. There were a1 o two tank ce 1 . This building wa completed in February 1935. The population of the Tennant Creek Goldfields at this time was approximately 500.

When then w cell ere built- little bo with temp ratur to 120 gree 1n ummer and b low z r in vlint r T nn nt Creek h record d fro t - one

humane offi r ould tak the pri on r nt hi pa iou v r· nd, h - in th e day the const ble wife u u lly. provided the pri n r ' me' 1 - app· r ntly thi kindne s was not ab ed as there 1 no record of ' ttempted e cape .

In the 50s the CW A made official complaints about the cell conditions. When the original building was replaced in 1962 a new Court House complex, air conditioned, was erected and lawns planted.

This was followed in the early 70s with the erection of another block to house more offices to cater for increased staff levels.

The Force in Tennant Creek has increased gradually over the years.

In October, 1977, it consisted of 1 Sergeant 1/C, 2 Sergeants 3/C, 10 Constables, 1 Constable CIB, totalling 14. An Inspector is based here. Their area became E. District, 3 Division in May, 1977 and extended from Elliott to the north, Barrow Creek to the South and approximately 200km west of Tennant Creek.

The total area is about 315,000 square kilometres.

With some organisational changes, the area is now known as Southern Command No 3 Division and includes the Police District of Borroloola. Staff at Tennant Creek now totals 27 made up of

1 Chief In spector 1 Senior Sergeant (The officer in Charge) 4 Sergeants 19 Constables (one based at Tennant Creek High School)

1 Police Aide 1 Police Tracker

Over the years many notable men have administered the law in Tennant Creek, solving many crimes, including murders, as the population grew and tourism increased; many times rescuing dehydrated travellers who had ventured off the track with little or no water.

Sergeant Greg Ryall, once stationed here was the man involved with the arrest of the Russians at Darwin in the "Petrov Affair''.

Sergeant Jim Mannion was in charge here in 1956 when the disastrous fire occured in Campbell's store at 6pm on a blistering day in December and the tinder dry building and outhouses went up in flames.

ot sure whether all persons were clear of the building, Sergeant Mannion, at great personal risk, entered the furiously burning building and checked all sections.

For this act of bravery Sgt Mannion was awarded the George Medal.

Later, when stationed in Darwin, he edited a Police Magazine called "Citation''; after his death publication ceased and the magazine is now a collectors piece. Approxin1ately twelve editions were produced.

Sergeant Mannion was a1 o the author f a book "Prancing through Papua", an account of his service in the A. I. F. on the T okoda Trail.

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number of boo on, and by Territory con tabulary have been written and two that com to mind are Ted Morey, a Mounted Constable, and Vic Hall, another Mountie who restgned from the Force tn 1940 and became a well known author and artist.

During the last 12 months a building program with a total expenditure of some three quarters of a million dollars has been undertaken.

Thi has meant the con truction of new offices, including a new reception area, a new cell block and the renovation of the original buildings built on the current ite.

Prior to this in 1985 the Police Force built six flats in Blackmore Road to house single members.

The work of the Police Force in the Tennant Creek area is varied and geographically extensive. The Tennant Creek Police District covers some 70,000 square kilometres. The total area covered by Southern Command N~3 Division is some 370,000 square kilometres. (Compared with the 277 ,OOOkm area of the State of Victoria.)

The men and women of the Tennant Creek Police Station are deeply involved in the local community at all levels, in service clubs, sporting clubs and community work.

The Police Station has grown over the years from a small, local Police Station to today's large Divisional Headquarters/Police Station.

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COMM ICATO s

Arguably the most important section within the Police Force is the Communications Section. It 1s the nerve centre of the Police operations in major locations and may be the only link with the outside world for remote 'bush' stations.

In Darwin, from its humble beginning in 1962 employing one man on permanent day shifts, the Communications Section has grown to become a hi-tech unit considered to be one of the most advanced in Australia. It currently employs 26 Police and Public Servant staff, 24 hours a day and has access to PABX telex and facsimile systems, enabling immediate contact with other Police Forces Australia wide.

The Communications Sections most recent inovation is C.A.D.S., Computer Aided Dispatch System. Complaints received from the public are fed into the computer which then decides a priority level, that 1s, which is more important. This information is then passed to the Police vehicles via radio, making response times quicker.

The CADS System can also:-

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List all jobs with comments and action reports List patrol units and the members Print patrol sheets List street names and locations Supply statistics

Apart from its duties 1n Darwin, Communications maintains regular contact with other Police Stations throughout the Territory with H.F. - High Frequency radios.

The section acts as an operations centre during cyclone and other emergencies and co-ordinates searchs and rescues.

In the future it is likely that the Communications Section will be linked to AUSSAT and all complaints, Territory wide will be received and answered centrally.

The modern equipment and highly trained staff have made the Darwin Communications Section comparable with any in Australia.

FORENSIC SC ENCE UNIT

The Police Forensic section was formed in 1967 and is now based at the Berrimah Police Centre. The expert staff of the section are responsible for the scientific investigation of crime.

Forensic Science is based on the principal that physical evidence 1s transferred during the commission of crime. This physical evidence may include such things as;

footprints, toe marks,

* * * biological material or clothing fibres.

Although most people working within the section are members of the Police Force, civilian experts are employed also.

The section is divided into specialist units:-

Crime Scene Technicians These technicians attend required to accurately measuring, photographing that may have been left by

Photography Unit

serious crime scenes. They are record all relevant evidence by

and gathering the physical evidence the offender.

Police have a great need of expert photographers to record visual evidence such as damage to property, and injuries to people. The Police photographic laboratory is now equipped to handle processing and printing in colour as well as black and white.

The Chemistry Laboratory The Police 'Chemist' 1s responsible for analysing drugs and exam1n1ng samples of materials such as; fibres, paints and rubber. One of his major roles is analysing blood to establish the alcoholic content.

The Biology Laboratory The Biologist examines bodily materials collected at crime scenes. These substances include; blood, saliva and hair and may be used to prove the identity of the offender.

The Firearms Identification Unit This is commonly referred to as the 'Balistic Unit'. There the identification of firearms, projectiles and cartridge cases are established.

Today Forensic Science is playing an increasingly important part in the detection of crime. It is likely to be a growth area in tomorrow's Police Force.

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AI WI G

The requirement to operate an independent Police Airwing grew as a result of the need to provide the Police Force with increased operational flexibility and all-weather access throughout the Northern Territory.

The Airwing is equipped with two Piper Navajo aircraft. These machines have an established reputation as a reliable and robust twin-engine aeroplane. They have been equipped to Police specifications with seating for up to eight passengers, complete all-weather insturrnentation including the latest weather radar and a full complement of Police communication equipment. With a range of 1400krn at speeds of 330 km/hr, the Navajos make the Air Wing one of the best equipped operations of its type in Australia.

The first aircraft was delivered to Darwin in May 1979 and the second to Alice Springs three months later. Both aircraft have since been replaced by newer models after several years of excellent service.

The a1rw1ng undertakes a wide variety of tasks ranging from search and rescue to transport of the Chief Minister on Police business. The aircraft carries investigation teams to distant crime scenes, carries persons in custody and conducts searches for lost fishermen, cattle duffers, stranded yachtsmen, and transports a variety of cargo. The aircraft are also involved 1n surveillance patrols of the northern prawn fisheries.

On average the Airwing aircraft fly 520,000 km including 21 search and rescue missions per year. Approximately 1540 passengers and 26,500 kg of freight are carried annually.

Station inspection tours of distant Police outstations that used to cover thousands of kilometres and involve weeks of travelling by motor vehicle are now completed in a matter of days using aircraft.

The both

Airwing has a complement of six pilots who were chosen for their experience and their suitability as Police Officers.

BUREAU of CRIMINAL INTELLIGE CE

The Bureau of Criminal Intelligence (or B. C.I.) is responsible for gathering and analysing information which will help to combat organised crime in Australia as it relates to the Northern Territory. These activities include;

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Drug trafficking Prostitution Gambling or other unlawful operations

The B.C.I. 1s also required to collect information on known local criminals and their activities. Today, computers are used extensively in this work.

The B.C.I. is a small, very specialised unit based in Darwin and Alice Springs and staffed by Detectives who have been trained in criminal investigation.

Members of the Northern Territory Police B.C.!. serve with the Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence in Canberra. This organisation, created in 1981, is staffed by officers from all Australian Police Forces. The A.B.C.I. is concerned with the maJor organised crime groups in Australia and to some extent overseas. Research work is carried out in co-operation with State, Federal and International Intelligence units.