Police art makes cultural connection

COLOURFUL art now adorns Dandenong Police Station foyer’s walls thanks to local students.
The station and Dandenong High School joined forces to spruce up the space with multicultural-themed works.
Acting Senior Sergeant Carolyn Hill said the project started late last year.
“The only brief was to depict the heritage and cultural diversity of the students,” she said.
She said Greater Dandenong was the most culturally diverse area in Victoria, and the second most in Australia – it’s home to people from 156 nations and 56 per cent of its 140,000 residents were born overseas.
The art reflects this, and is also a way for the police to embrace the diversity and engage youths.
“It breaks down trust barriers,” she said.
“Depending where they come from they have different ideas of what police do and don’t do.
“We hope this will have a flow-on effect on the path they take later on.”
The station held a launch and certificate presentation for the first students involved late last year.
The school has now made the project part of its curriculum and artworks on display will change regularly.
“They’ve seen a huge improvement in the quality of art,” Act Sen Sgt Hill said.
“For the kids it’s great – it gives them bragging rights.”
Photography and textile works are among those on display – a sewing machine was used for in creating the textile pieces, mainly by Afghan students who’d never seen a sewing machine before coming to Australia.
“It’s something really different and unexpected,” Act Sen Sgt Hill said.
“It’s something to benefit all community members.
“It’s a mini art gallery.”