Police organisation
Northern Territory Police Force
The Northern Territory’s own police force — the contrast with the Australian Capital Territory, whose policing the Commonwealth AFP delivers.
At a glance
- Official name
- Northern Territory Police Force
- System
- Australia
- Level of government
- State
- Kind of body
- State police force
- Status
- Currently operating
- Official website
- https://pfes.nt.gov.au/police — confirmed against the organisation’s own pages on 26 July 2026.
- Facts last checked against sources
- 13 September 2026
What it is
Two Australian territories, two different answers. The Northern Territory runs its own police force; the Australian Capital Territory does not, and has its community policing delivered by the AFP under an arrangement. Being a territory rather than a state does not determine whether you have a police force of your own.
What it covers
The Northern Territory.
Broad responsibilities
- Policing the Northern Territory as its own force
Elsewhere on this site
- Who polices what — how Australia is structured, against other systems
Other organisations to compare
- Australian Federal Police — Australia
- Victoria Police — Australia
Where this connects
Institutions: Municipal police.
Sources
Northern Territory Police Force
Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services (pfes.nt.gov.au) · Institutional (self-description) · link verified 2026-07-26
The Northern Territory's own police page, read directly. Establishes that the Northern Territory runs its OWN police force — the Northern Territory Police Force — the contrast with the Australian Capital Territory, whose policing is delivered by the Commonwealth AFP. Supports the `own` policing scope for the NT.
Australian Federal Police (afp.gov.au) · Institutional (self-description) · link verified 2026-07-26
The AFP's own page, read in full. Supports that 'ACT Policing is the community policing arm of the AFP' and that its job is to provide policing services to the Australian Capital Territory 'on behalf of the ACT Government'. Establishes that the ACT runs no police force of its own — its community policing is delivered by the Commonwealth AFP under an arrangement — which is what makes the ACT's policing `contracted` rather than `own`.