NT Police today encouraged members of the public to continue reporting any suspicious behaviour or items and reiterated that all calls are taken seriously and acted upon appropriately.

“It is important that the community understands we need their help in identifying any suspicious packages or behaviour and that their calls to Police are and always will be taken seriously,” said Acting Deputy Commissioner Reece Kershaw.

“We also wish to reassure the community that our focus is safety first and our operating procedures are in place to deal effectively with these types of matters,” said Acting Deputy Commissioner Kershaw.

Police are reviewing an incident over the weekend when a Palmerston man was unfortunately given incorrect advice in response to reporting a suspicious package.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Kershaw said that the incident arose when a call operator believed the caller was reporting lost property rather than a suspicious item, which accounted for a different operating procedure being followed. Police have since made contact with the caller and explained the situation, commending him for his vigilance.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Kershaw said members of the public can have confidence in Police responding appropriately to reports of suspicious items, citing two incidents last week when the NT Police Territory Response Group responded quickly to such reports.

While all items reported to date have turned out to be non-suspicious, Police advise people to be alert and anyone wishing to report suspicious behaviour or items should call NT Police on 131 444 or the National Security Hotline on 1800 1234 00.