By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS: clucadou-wells@mmpgroup.com.au
RACISM among some police is still a concern, legal aid advocates have claimed.
Speakers at last week’s Springvale Monash Legal Service forum titled Police and Racism: What we can do about it, urged the audience to make submissions to Victoria Police’s public inquiry into racial profiling.
The inquiry was set up in the wake of February’s Federal Court
settlement between Victoria Police and six African-Australian men in
Flemington who alleged police stopped and searched them because of
their ethnicity, rather than for legitimate reasons.
There have been other reported claims of Africans being questioned
to an excessive level and then simply moved on. In some cases, they
claimed to be victims of physical violence.
Speakers at the forum called on police to issue “receipts” for
each stop-and-search for greater transparency into who they select.
Hanah Fesseha, of youth racial justice group Imara Advocacy, said
police had failed to acknowledge that situations of racial profiling
existed.
Ms Fesseha said she was sceptical about Dandenong’s Police &
Young Leaders Engagement Team (PYLET) program that had reported
encouraging results since it started in April.
The team of young community leaders of African and Pacific
Islander backgrounds aims to help build bridges between police and young
people on the streets of Greater Dandenong at night..
But Ms Fesseha claimed that PYLET was used as a surveillance tool.
“Generally speaking, initiatives to interact with the African
community don’t change the problem or the fact that police racially
profile,” she said.
“Boys say they play soccer with police on a Saturday night and then they get searched by the same police the next day.”
The general manager of Dandenong-based Youth Support and Advocacy
Service, Warren Eames, said his service’s young clients, often
traumatised by domestic violence and sexual abuse, had reported harsh
“zero tolerance” practices from police officers.
“The impact that’s had on young people’s belief is that they’re
not valued in the community, but a problem that needs to be managed.”
He said the service had also forged “great relationships” with
police, who had helped pull young people from the “brink of terminal
despair”.
“We also hope this inquiry shines a light on good practices,” he said.
Springvale-Monash Community Legal Centre manager Kris Wallwork said she saw positive signs in Dandenong.
At the centre’s request, police have recently cut back on handing
infringement notices to impoverished young people, avoiding saddling
them with fines they cannot pay.
Ms Wallwork said Operation Safe Suburbs police, who have cracked
down on antisocial behaviour on the streets, had moved from a “zero
tolerance” to a “firm but fair” approach.
Sergeant Joey Herrech said crimes and incidents had dropped off on
PYLET patrol nights and the program’s success helped him convince his
colleagues of the worth of a more creative, respectful policing style.
» Submissions
to the police inquiry close on July 31. Springvale Monash Legal Service
can help with submissions. Details: 9545 7400.
» Walk in the shoes of the PYLET patrol on Dandenong’s night streets.
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