An intellectual policeman is like an ocean breeze in the outback

Here is an extract from one of the case notes of complaints against NT police documented in the 2008-2009 annual report to the local Parliament by the NT Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman’s case note detailed the treatment by NT Police at an unnamed station to “a complainant who was taken into custody for breaking and entering, and who had subsequently fallen asleep outside the premises, due to being highly intoxicated, and who was arrested at the scene.”

Even before he made it to the cells he was getting the full benefit of the cop’s limited vocabulary:

“The complainant could be heard mumbling something whilst he was seated on the bench, although it was not discernable as to what was said. One of the attending officers responded with “shut your face”. Further comments made to or about the complainant within the next 30 minutes included “dumb fuck”, “fucking loser”, “dickhead over there”, “fucking retard”.

“In addition to the inappropriate comments identified above the duty officer was heard and observed making the following statements to or about the complainant:

“stupid fucking idiot”

“make things quite clear, … if you wanna fuckin’ play up I’ll make things hard for you”

“God, he fucking stinks”

Two officers were joking about the complainant hitting his head against the cell door because he wasn’t given a blanket. One officer stating that the complainant had said he would jump in the air and land on his head killing himself. The officer then stating “go ahead, do it”. The other officer stating “make sure you do it in front of the cameras”.

After the officer established that the complainant was dialling his wife, against whom he had a domestic violence order, the officer said “get back in your fucking cell you spastic” “you’ve got a domestic violence order that says you are not allowed to contact her, you fucking wanker.

I have always enjoyed familiar talk with the local constabulary. Easy, unrestrained, unceremonious conversation is the hallmark of good communication, and shooting the breeze about sports, neighborhood scuttlebutt, off-color jokes exposed me to their finer use of the English language.

My stay in jail lasting but a short, fleeting time, but my vocabulary increased measurably, certainly much more than 12 years of schooling.

The white majority have no reason to feel like they will be dispossessed when the revolution starts.

Yours, while realising consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative

Righteous

p.s. Lizards are patrolling the landscape, and giant tortoises are galumphing on the beaches. My dreams have turned into a David Lynch/Richard Attenborough co-production.