Australia’s Northern Territory (NT) Police Commissioner Michael Murphy resigned from the NT Police Association (NTPA) on Monday, after the NTPA criticised the apology he made to First Nations people at the Garma Festival on Saturday.

On the second day of the Garma Festival, Australia’s largest Indigenous gathering which celebrates Yolngu life and culture, Murphy apologised to First Nations peoples for the harm and injustice the NT police has caused since its founding in 1870.

In his apology, Murphy drew upon the “profound and ongoing” harms of Australia’s colonial history and the intergenerational trauma caused by the Stolen Generations era, stating “I know that I [cannot] change or undo the past, but as police commissioner alongside our police officers, we can commit to not repeating the mistakes and injustices of the past”. Murphy also said he would target 30% Aboriginal representation across all police ranks and implement an anti-racism strategy to enhance training on racism, history and human rights within the NT police.

In a statement released on Sunday, NTPA acting president Lisa Bayliss responded to Murphy’s apology and acknowledged the importance of the NT police to “confront, acknowledge and learn from the past” but not define themselves by the past. Expressing her disappointment that the NTPA was not given prior notice of the contents of Murphy’s speech, Bayliss said:

Our members deserve the backing of the senior police executive, ensuring they are not unfairly overburdened with blame but rather empowered to continue their vital work for the benefit of all Territorians.

The Commissioner’s focus should be not only on Indigenous members of the public but also on the wellbeing and development of the NTP’s own members. This includes providing Indigenous employees within the NTP with opportunities to advance as far as they aspire within the organisation.

In his statement of resignation, Murphy expressed his disappointment with the NTPA’s criticism, stating “I have a vision for the future of NT [p]olice; and in order to achieve that future, we need to be able to understand and acknowledge our history … Our shared mission is to serve and protect all Territorians.”

Notably, Murphy’s apology comes almost five years after then-NT police officer Zachary Rolfe killed a 19-year-old Warlpiri-Luritja man Kumanjayi Walker, whilst attempting to arrest him. Rolfe was charged with murder but later acquitted by the NT Supreme Court, which found he had acted in self-defence. During the coronial inquest into the death of Walker, evidence of a widespread culture of racism within the NT Police Force was brought to light and triggered a joint review into racism within the force between the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption and the NT Police. In his apology, Murphy also vowed to deliver a separate apology to the community of Yuendumu, where Walker was shot dead.