Building trust takes time - and for many new arrivals to Australia, or those who do not speak English, approaching the authorities can sometimes seem intimidating.
But you should not be afraid of approaching your local police or asking for help when you need it. There are many resources and initiatives available to help assist non-English speakers and migrant communities. Here are just a few:
Community programs
Have a ‘Coffee with a Cop’
This program initially started in the United States to bring police officers and the community together to discuss issues and learn more about each other in a friendly environment over a cup of coffee.
Now it’s being rolled out in Australia too, beginning across New South Wales after Fairfield’s Commander, Superintendent Peter Lennon, introduced the coffee meetings in his culturally diverse community. He believes this program helps to overcome the distrust many new arrivals have towards law enforcement agents.
What happens at the meetings?
Apart from building bridges between police and refugee communities, the meetings also offer an opportunity to inform you about the rules and regulations that apply when police are called to an incident.By attending the coffee meeting you can find out more about police powers - such as when they have the rights to search a person, property or vehicle - and when they have the power to arrest. This transparency can help reassure uncertain community members about their rights.
Play basketball!
The South Sudanese All Stars play the Victorian Police at Eagle Stadium (Photo by David Chiengkou for SBS) Source: SBS
Community programs around the country
The African All Stars cup and the Coffee with a Cop programs are just two of many many other multicultural initiatives featuring police engagement that have been put in place around the country to reach out to culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Here are a few more, as listed in the AIC Research publication Crime prevention programs for culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Australia:
- A Journey of Understanding (Vic)
- Short Story Big Screen (ACT)
Talk to your local Multicultural Police representative
Police organisations in most states and territory have launched some form of initiative to reach out to culturally and linguistically diverse communities, including Indigenous communities, often engaging special officers for the task.
In Sydney the MCLO (Multicultural Community Liaison Officers) program employs civilian officers who represent over 40 different language groups. Their task is to strengthen the links and facilitate communication between police and culturally and linguistically diverse communities. If you need to report a crime or have any concerns you can always talk to an officer in your language.
Here are some of the programs in place across the states - click on the links to find out more about how you can in touch and get involved.
Information in your language
Police units around Australia publish helpful information about important community and safety issues such as domestic violence, road safety, counter terrorism and criminal infringement notices in a diverse array of different languages. Follow the links above to find more in-language services in your state.
