POLICEMAN’S BORDER BREACH

Officer breaches border

A 27-year-old Northern Territory police officer has resigned and been fined $5000 after breaching Territory border checkpoint requirements with four other people.

A POLICE officer has resigned after breaching the Northern Territory’s border checkpoint requirements.

NT Police Deputy Commissioner Murray Smalpage said the 27-year-old was one of five people who had breached Northern Territory/Queensland border controls.

Along with his wife, he has been issued with a breach notice and a $5000 fine.

Three of five travellers — but not the police officer — were confirmed to have come from interstate hot spots.

The police officer’s resignation follows earlier reports from the Red Centre that an investigation was under way after three men aged 26, 27 and 29, and a woman, 28, travelled into the NT on Monday in a private car through a border control point on the Queensland and Territory border.

Mr Smalpage described the breach as “extremely disappointing”.

“A police officer has failed to adhere to his sworn duty as a police officer,” he said.

“It is a single failing, but it is extremely disappointing.

“They travelled from a declared hot spot, and he was one of five that came in and travelled to Alice. The officer must have reflected on his actions and resigned, which was accepted. There is an ongoing criminal investigation and we will see what, if any, charges will flow as a result.”

NT Chief Health Officer Hugh Heggie said he was alarmed by the officer’s behaviour, and again warned of the speed with which coronavirus was being spread from interstate hot spots.

The policeman’s resignation comes after a woman tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the Territory’s total active cases to three.

She is the partner of a man who tested positive for the virus on Friday. The woman and her family arrived in Darwin from Melbourne on Friday, after travelling to Victoria for essential medical treatment for their child.

They received clearance from the NT Department of Health to travel to Victoria, and were cleared by authorities to return to the Territory, on the condition they went into mandatory quarantine.

The man was asymptomatic but was tested for coronavirus in Melbourne. He was alerted mid-flight he had contracted the virus, and was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital. His partner was also in isolation at RDH when she was confirmed positive for coronavirus.

SecureNT said contact tracing was complete.