News

April 1998

News in Brief

Orientation Day Attracts Applicants

Queensland Police Service conducted a special Orientation Day at the Queensland Police Academy for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The day was very successful, attracting over 70 community representatives and youth groups.

Restructuring Lifts Profile

Last year's restructuring of the Cultural Advisory Unit of the Queensland Police Service transferred the Unit from Operation Support Command to the Office of the Commissioner. Sometimes employees feel apprehensive about administrative restructuring of their workplace. In this instance, however, this move was wholeheartedly welcomed by the staff of the Unit as it raises its profile and facilitates reporting of ethnic and Indigenous issues directly to Commissioner Jim O' Sullivan.

Collection of Ethnicity Data Research Project

The Bureau in partnership with the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs and in co-operation with Victoria Police, has embarked upon the special project examining ethnicity data collection by Victoria Police. The project will review current collection practices with the view of preparing a national model for the systematic collection of ethnicity data across Australian Police Services.

New Targets for Domestic Violence Education Campaigns

Readers will remember that the NSW Police Service established a toll free domestic violence information line aimed at people from ten different ethnic backgrounds, providing women with the opportunity to obtain information on domestic violence and identify the alternatives available to them.

In a further step to ensure effective information delivery to women, the NSW Police and Ethnic Communities Advisory Council has proposed that future domestic violence education campaigns conducted by the Police Service should include greater emphasis on reaching men, as in many ethnic communities women rely on men to provide them with information.

Recruiting Workshop Proposed

Following the highly successful National Cross-cultural Awareness Trainers Workshop which the Bureau conducted jointly with the NSW Police Service in Brisbane in 1996, the Advisory Panel agreed in principle with the Bureau's proposal to conduct a National Workshop for Recruiting Officers.

The workshop would examine in depth current recruitment strategies with the aim of developing a national approach to recruitment from ethnic communities. The Bureau has commenced planning of this important forum.

Victoria Police Consults Vietnamese Community Leaders

The Victoria Police reported on a positive outcome of its meeting with representatives from the Vietnamese community. The well attended meeting discussed frankly a number of drug related issues and possible strategies which the community in partnership with the police can adopt to address such problems as drug abuse by young people. Similar consultative meetings with other ethnic communities are being planned by Victoria Police.

Signs in Watchhouse

Australian Federal Police is examining a proposal to place multilingual signs explaining the standard police procedures, in the watchhouse.

From Consultations to Implementation

Since the launch of the 'Strategic Directions for Policing with Ethnic Communities' document, the Cultural Advisory Unit of the Queensland Police Service has proceeded to formalise progress in this area. A part of this process is the move to establish benchmarks, timelines, responsibilities and priorities for actions identified during the statewide community consultation process. The Unit acknowledges the most valuable contribution by Ms Margo Couldry, Director of Policy, Queensland Anti-Discrimination Commission, and Ms Janine Worley, Co-ordinator, State Refugee Settlement Scheme, Red Cross International Services, to this process.

SBS Radio Police Award

SBS Radio participated in the 1997 Annual Ethnic Communities Police Award by presenting the SBS Radio Police Award to Senior Constable Robin Palmer of Victoria Police Footscray Ethnic Unit. Robin received this special award in recognition of his untiring efforts in police/ethnic affairs, particularly in the area of community education and communication.

Multicultural Footscray Visited

Early last year two representatives from the NPEAB visited the spectacular Quang Minh Buddhist Temple in Braybrook, Victoria, as part of their fact finding tour of Footscray. The tour was organised by the Inner Western Region Migrant Resource Centre in response to negative media reporting about ethnic crime in Footscray. It afforded Mr. Ivan Kolarik, Executive Director, NPEAB and Mr. Hass Dellal, Executive Director, Australian Multicultural Foundation a rare insight into this dynamic multicultural neighbourhood and services provided by a myriad of government and community organisations. Above all the tour has helped to dispel some of the myths about this suburb created by the media.

Female Officer from Vietnamese Background - A Queensland Police Service First

Ms Theresa H. Thoi is the first Vietnamese born woman to have joined the Queensland Police Service. She joins the ranks with other female officers from diverse ethnic backgrounds sworn into the Service (during 1997, 8.0% of sworn female officers were from non-English speaking backgrounds).

Theresa came to Australia in 1981 as a refugee. She has tertiary qualifications from Griffith University, enjoys working with people and her immediate goal is to successfully complete the First Year Constable Program.

We wish Theresa every success in her studies and future work for the community of Queensland.