NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy says he felt the Garma Festival was a good time to deliver an apology to Aboriginal people for past harms inflicted on them at the hand of police.

He told Katie Woolf he informed the Police Minister about his intention to do so about a week beforehand, alerting the media and police union the day he delivered the speech.

Commissioner Murphy says the apology is instrumental in moving forward with reconciliation and justice adding that police need the support of the community to achieve change.

He says he resigned his membership from the NT Police Association because he was disappointed with its swift action in response to the apology but has promised to continue to work with the union.

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