News

August 2000

Across State Lines: Queensland

PLO Scheme Promoted Through Videos

The highly successful Police Liaion Officer (PLO) scheme and the role of the Cultural Advisory Unit of the Queensland Police Service, are the subjects of two documentary style high quality videos which were launched by Deputy Commissioner Ron McGibbon at a special ceremony held on National Harmony Day, 21 March 2000 in Police Headquarters, Brisbane.

Working together: Attending the launch of National Harmony Day

Produced by Brian Arley and Bruce Nelson of "Dreams, Schemes & Ideas", using the Commonwealth grant under the "Living in Harmony" scheme, the appropriately entitled videos "Police and Harmony" cover, in a creative way, the now well established and successful PLO scheme and the role and services of the Cultural Advisory Unit of the Office of the Commissioner.

The PLO scheme was established by the Queensland Police Service in 1992 to foster communication and cooperation between indigenous and culturally diverse communities and police. Currently the Queensland Police Service has 118 PLO's and it is pleasing to see that they include officers from Vietnamese and Samoan backgrounds. The Service acknowledges that the PLO's will always be looked upon to act as role models, particularly for young people. There is also an expectation that liaison officers will focus closely on their role of establishing mutual respect, trust and understanding with the community in general. As such PLO's have no powers nor do they carry weapons.

Footage for both videos was taken at various locations throughout Queensland. The videos feature police officers talking about their roles. This essentially is to:

• reduce and prevent crime;
• divert indigenous and culturally diverse people from the criminal justice system;
• advise and educate police on cross cultural issues; and
• improve community knowledge about policing services, and law and order issues.

The videos also highlight the role and services of the Cultural Advisory Unit of the Office of the Commissioner which is staffed by Inspector Terry Tyler as the Officer-In-Charge and Mr. Emmanuel Anthony as the Senior Cultural Advisor.

There is no doubt that the videos will contribute a great deal to better understanding of the PLO scheme and the philosophies governing the Queensland Police Service's responses to cultural, linguistic and religious diverstiy. As such they are a valuable promotional tool advocating partnership policing. Almost simultaneously with the Brisbane launch, the videos were released by the NPEAB's Executive Director Ivan Kolarik during his visit to Bramshill Police College, UK, on the occasion of a seminar on "Policing in a Multicultural Australia". The international delegates praised the general quality of the videos and concepts treated by them. This was yet another initiative which demonstrated Australia's commitment to police/ethnic relations and the leading edge Australia has in this area.

Partnerships Advanced at Community Forum

Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast was the venue for a special Ethnic and Multicultural Information Sharing Forum entitled "Policing Diversity Through Community Partnerships".

Mr Ivan Kolarik, Executive Director, NPEAB, addressing the Forum

Hosted by South Eastern Police Region of Queensland Police Service, the aim of the forum was to inform ethnic communities on local and national initiatives in the area of police management of cultural, linguistic and religious diversity and to foster a closer partnership between ethnic communities and police. The forum provided an opportunity for police to meet with a cross-section of people from ethnic communities in the South Eastern Region and discuss with them their concerns regarding law and order issues and issues relevant to policing in a multicultural Queensland.

The guest speakers provided a comprehensive account of a wide range of programs and initiatives implemented in Queensland and in other parts of Australia to improve police and ethnic relations. The need for a close partnership between police and ethnic communities was emphasised by all speakers. After the formal presentation, community representatives were given the opportunity to question the forum panel comprised of guest speakers.

It was good to see that the audience attended the forum well prepared. Some, like Lynette Holland, Coordinator of Beenleigh Multicultural Group, went out of their way to consult extensively with the communities prior to the forum. It was largely due to this preparedness that the forum was able to formulate a number of well thought out recommendations. These included a call for the establishment of a permanent Regional and District Cross Cultural Liaison Officer positions, developing a regional strategic direction document for policing with ethnic communities, and attending regular ethnic and multicultural information sharing forums. Other recommendations emphasised the need for cross-cultural awareness training for police, recruitment from ethnic communities and police representations on official ethnic communities' structures such as the Ethnic Communities Council.

The Officer-in-Charge of South Eastern Police Region, Assistant Commissioner Allan Roberts who hosted the forum said that it had successfully achieved its aim and opened the doors for future dialogue.

"I was very pleased to see the genuine enthusiasm displayed by representatives of ethnic communities who want to join the partnership with police," he said. Assistant Commissioner Roberts said that he was committed to ensuring that police and ethnic relations in his Region are sound and based on acceptance, trust and understanding of each other.

Executive Director of NPEAB Ivan Kolarik, who attended the forum as a guest speaker spoke highly of this event.

"This was a very well organised and very successful forum where good will prevailed. It stimulated open and frank discussion, opened new lines of communication and provided new and exciting challenges for South Eastern Police Region," he said.

It is the intention of the South Eastern Police Region to conduct similar information forums on a regular basis in the future.