News

August 2000

News In Brief

National Workshop to Develop Recruitment Strategies for Australia

Following the endorsement by the Commissioners of Police of the recommendations arising from the National Workshop on Recruitment from Ethnic Communities which the Bureau conducted in partnership with South Australia Police Service, New South Wales Police Service and Queensland Police in November, 1998, the Bureau has established a national working party. Victoria Police is hosting a week-long meeting of the working party at Airlie Police College from 4-8 September, 2000. The aim of the workshop is to develop appropriate benchmark standards and national protocols regarding the recruitment and retention of people from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds. The membership of the working party is comprised of police personnel directly involved with recruitment and multicultural affairs advisors. The outcomes of the workshop will be submitted to the 2001 Conference of Commissioners of Police of Australia and the South West Pacific Region. It is envisaged that the outcomes of the workshop will provide a blueprint for the effective recruitment and retention of people from our diverse communities. There is no doubt that the National Recruitment Video which is currently being produced by Victoria Police in partnership with the Bureau, will significantly assist recruitment efforts across Australia.

ECLO Review Recommendations Supported by Commissioner

Commissioner Peter Ryan, NSW Police Service, recently announced at a meeting of the Police and Ethnic Communities Advisory Council that he was seeking to support the implementation of the ECLO Review from existing funds.

A review of the Ethnic Community Liaison Officer (ECLO) program, was completed earlier this year after extensive consultation with police, community groups, non-government organisations and other government agencies. The final report contained 39 recommendations related to the expansion of the program, central coordination, grading of positions, reporting mechanisms and other resources required.

VIctoria Police to Produce Recruitment Video

Mr. Neil Comrie, Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police, announced that following his consultations with other Commissioners of Police, Victoria Police in partnership with NPEAB would produce a national video on recruitment from ethnic communities.

The documentary style video would be a much welcome recruitment tool promoting Australian Police Services as a rewarding career option. Work on the video has commenced.

Australian Experience Shared at Bramshill

A world renowned police educational facility, Police Staff College, Bramshill, UK hosted a national conference on 'Community Involvement in Policing', in March 2000. The aim of this conference was to promote effective community involvement in policing, in accordance with the recommendations of the Lawrence Inquiry Report and with the Home Secretary's Action Plan.

Two senior members of the National Police Ethnic Advisory Bureau attended and actively participated in the Conference: Mr. Ivan Kolarik, Executive Director and Superintendent Mick Van Heythuysen, member of the Bureau's Advisory Panel, and Officer-in-Charge, Aboriginal and Ethnic Policy, NT Police.

In addition to attending the conference, Mick and Ivan conducted a seminar on 'Policing Multicultural Australia'. The seminar was attended by police personnel and delegates from community and non-government sectors from the UK and a number of European countries. This international forum provided Mick and Ivan a rare opportunity to showcase Australia's unique experience with police management of cultural, linguistic and religious diversity.

Ivan's presentation focused on management of diversity from a national perspective, providing explanation of philosophies behind various national as well as jurisdictional initiatives. In contrast to this theoretical focus, Mike gave a detailed account of the practical way in which community policing was the highlight of a successful evacuation of East Timorese refugees in Darwin.

The comments received by both speakers confirmed the high regard Australian Police Services are held by the international community.

"You, the Law & Society" in Vietnamese and Chinese

The Vietnamese edition of the booklet "You, the Law & Society", was officially launched by Commissioner Jim O'Sullivan on 18 May 2000. The booklet which is already available in a range of community languages including Arabic, Farsi and languages from the former Yugoslavia, provides information on 20 broad topics of vital importance for successful settlement.

The Vietnamese version was made possible through funding provided by the Drug and Alcohol Co-ordination Unit with assistance from the Vietnamese Community in Australia, Queensland Chapter. A Chinese version of the booklet has also been printed and will be offically launched in the near future.

Copies of the booklet are available through the Cultural Advisory Unit, Office of the Commissioner, Queensland Police Service, (07) 3364 3934.

Review of Language Services in NSW

A comprehensive review of interpreter policies and guidelines, roles of Community Language Assistance Scheme (CLAS) recipients, Ethnic Community Liaison Officers and other bilingual and/or multilingual employees of NSW Police Service as well as an audit of interpreter/translator service providers and the quality of this service, has commenced. A final report is expected in December 2001.

Local Priority Policing Facilitates New Concepts

The Victoria Police Force is currently considering the establishment of Multicultural Liaison Units in each of the newly designated General Policing Department Regions. This concept is in line with the Local Priority Policing (LPP) model which has been implemented across the State. Local Priority Policing is a comprehensive new philosophy and strategy governing the manner in which policing services are managed and delivered to the community in Victoria.

It is defined as:

• the efficient and effective delivery of customised police services which satisfy local community needs and expectations; and
• a process which is aligned with and supported by a collaborated and cohesive local safety framework.

The main thrust of the Multicultural Liaison Units would be to provide high quality, professional policing service to the culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse communities which represent some 24 percent of Victoria's population.

Multicultural Perspectives of Crime and Safety - An Innovative Approach

People from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB) bring a complex variety of values, attitudes, knowledge and definitions of crime, safety and police with them. As a result, the Police Board of Victoria in December 1999 designed and commissioned a study to investigate and measure the perceptions of people from NESB in relation to crime, safety and police in their local area. The study, Multicultural Perspectives of Crime and Safety clearly indicates the need to better understand the varying concerns and priorities of our diverse communities. The research showed that it is not sufficient to take an 'average' for a local government area and regard that as representative of the diverse views of the whole community. Therefore, a more detailed and tailored research methodology which was adaptable to the needs of particular communities was developed. As a result, focus groups were held with the Vietnamese, Somali, Chinese, Italian, Albanian, Turkish, Bosnian and Iraqi communities in the Cities of Darebin, Dandenong and Greater Shepparton were conducted to identify key issues in crime and safety.

The National Police Ethnic Advisory Bureau was proud to be a part of the Research Steering Group and believes that the study has contributed significantly to the current gap in social research in relation to perceptions of crime and safety amongst NESB communities.

Positions Vacant on PECAC

Commissioner Peter Ryan QPM and Chitrita Mukerjee, Senior Policy Officer, Ethnic Affairs, NSW Police Service, with members of PECAC.

Following the May 2000 meeting of the Police and Ethnic Communities Advisory Council (PECAC), seven positions became vacant. Advertisements were placed in major media outlets and community newspapers. Nominations closed on 19 May 2000. The new Council will meet on 4 August 2000.

Commissioner Ryan Commends Religious Publication

Since the launch of A Practical Reference to Religious Diversity for Operational Police, the Bureau has received praise for this publication from many and diverse sources. Both police agencies and the public sector have commented on the relevance and timeliness of this reference tool. Service providers within Australia and overseas have acknowledged its usefulness as a reference guide to better understand religiously determined practices and have concurred that the publication will enhance service provision and delivery.

The Bureau was particularly pleased to have recently received a letter from Commissioner Peter Ryan who, on behalf of the NSW Police Service and the Police and Ethnic Communities Advisory Council, commended the Bureau for taking the initiative of producing a reference on religious protocol for police use. He added that the publication will be a valuable educational tool for police. Commissioner Ryan also said that the Ethnic Affairs Unit of his Service was in the process of preparing a brief guide on the use of the publication.

Outstanding Work Recognised by PACMAC

Inspector Gerald Zammit was the worthy recipient of the prestigious Police Multicultural Award presented late last year by the Police and Community Multicultural Committee (PACMAC) in Melbourne.

The Minister for Police and Emergency Services, the Hon. Andre Haermeyer MP, presented the Award at a special ceremony hosted by the Jewish Community of Victoria and B'nai B'rith Anti-Defamation Commission.

Inspector Zammit has received the Award for his extensive work with multicultural communities in the Broadmeadows Police District, particularly with the Somali, Turkish and Arabic communities. Some of the innovative initiatives implemented by Inspector Zammit included a program of interaction with the Horn of Africa community, establishment of a network of bilingual police members in the District and their utilization of specific tasks such as drug lecture training, and a pilot program on crime prevention and public safety with members of the Chinese, Somali and Vietnamese communities. Inspector Zammit manages the operations of the Multicultural Liaison Unit in Region 3 of Victoria.

The Executive Director of the Bureau presented Inspector Zammit with the NPEAB's wall plaque.