Millions of dollars of federal funding earmarked for policing in the Northern Territory has yet to be allocated.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced during a visit to Alice Springs earlier this year that $14.2 million would be put towards front-line policing, but the funds have not been rolled out and the Commonwealth has yet to confirm where they will be directed. 

Senior police officers say that the Northern Territory is currently short of over 300 officers to manage demand.

The Northern Territory Police Association (NTPA) says new bail law changes recently implemented by the NT government will only add further pressure to an already struggling force. 

The NTPA has accused the government of not listening to complaints from the ground regarding the severity of the shortage and that officers are overstretched, fatigued, and working enormous amounts of overtime to fill rosters. 

Police say domestic and family violence has increased by over 150 per cent in the last 10 years, while break-ins have increased by 50 per cent. However, the number of constables on the frontline has only increased by 40 over the last decade.

In response to the ongoing crisis, the government has passed new bail laws following the stabbing death of 20-year-old Declan Laverty, which triggered public outcry over escalating crime rates in the Northern Territory. 

NT Police Minister Kate Worden has pledged that the government is doing what it can to ensure there are enough officers on the streets to deal with the rising workload, stating that they have recruited more police than any other territory government and that their police college remains in overdrive.

Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker has stated that the police agency is “sweating on that formal announcement coming out” to see if the promised $14 million will go towards expanding the permanent police presence in Alice Springs. 

Reports say that the agreement is likely to be finalised by the start of May. 

The NT government says it is in active discussions with the Australian government in relation to the funding.

Police say there is still no clear plan for how the money would be spent or when.