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Unlocking Doors: Audit of Initiatives Related to Police and Muslim Communities

Audit of Initiatives
Related to Police and Muslim Communities

AGENCY
PROJECT
DURATION
COMMONWEALTH
COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT
Commonwealth Manual for Human Rights Training of
Police
This manual is designed to help Commonwealth
Governments promote an understanding of and respect for human rights. The manual
provides strategies and training programs to equip and enable police services to
better deal with community policing. It addresses the tension between protecting
human rights and counter terrorist measures emphasising the need to maintain a
balance between these measures and human rights. Furthermore the manual provides
for training methodologies to enable law enforcement officers to develop human
rights standards, practices and approaches.
2006
NATIONAL
DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION AND MULTICULTURAL
AFFAIRS
A Good Practice Guide to Culturally Responsive
Government Services
Responding to Diversity: Program Planning, Audit,
Evaluation and Reporting Checklist
. This guide explains how to integrate
cultural awareness practices to facilitate the effective contribution of people
from diverse backgrounds in government services. The guide includes a checklist
to assist Australian Public Service staff when considering issues of access and
equality.
2006
AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE

(AFP)












































Islamic awareness workshops
The AFP has held Islamic Awareness Workshops attended
by AFP members nationally. These workshops involved various members and leaders
of the Muslim and Arab community speaking to police on topics including racial
discrimination and Islam, its beliefs and customs. Activities
included:

  • A speech by Mr Ali Roude, Chairman of the Islamic
    Council of New South Wales, in December 2003 at the Senior Executive Retreat
    about what it is to be an Australian Muslim (Published in Platypus No. 18
    March 2004).
  • An information session, delivered by Ms Aziza
    Abdel-Halim, a representative of the Australian Women’s Muslim Network,
    about Muslim cultural issues held at the AFP Counter-Terrorism (CT) Workshop.
    The workshop also introduced participants to particular issues that regularly
    confront police officers in the daily execution of their
    duties.
2003




Liaison with Muslim community members and
leaders
After September 11, each AFP Executive Team in
respective regions sought to develop strong relationships with Muslim and Arab
communities. Formal and informal lines of communication continue with Islamic
Councils as part of this outreach program. Specific examples
follow:

  • The AFP Melbourne Office holds
    regular meetings with Muslim community leaders and
    representatives of the Islamic Council of Victoria.    
  • The AFP Sydney Office has been engaged with the Sydney
    Muslim Community on a regular basis particularly focusing on forming new
    relationships with the Islamic youth.  The frequency of this contact occurs
    weekly with formal meetings held monthly (approximately).
  • The AFP Adelaide Office meets with leaders in the
    Islamic Community on a quarterly basis.  In August 2006 Adelaide Office
    initiated a cultural awareness presentation from the Muslim Women's
    Association.  This highly successful event was attended by AFP,
    Customs, Australian Crime Commission (ACC), Attorney Generals
    Department and SA Police.
  • The AFP Perth Office have been engaged on a significant
    level with the Islamic Community since 1971 undertaking formal meetings every
    six months. The Manager of the Perth Office is regularly invited and attends
    various Islamic Community events and in June 2006 led an open forum
    discussion attended by a wide range of organisations including
    councils and religious centres.
  • The AFP Darwin Office has reached an agreement with the
    recently elected Presidents of both the Darwin and Alice Springs Islamic
    Councils to involve them in a program of Islamic awareness seminars for AFP
    members.  In support of this, Darwin Office members have attended Friday
    Prayer Sessions at the Darwin mosque, and open days at the Darwin Islamic
    Centre.  The Darwin office maintains regular ongoing meetings with Muslim
    community leaders and the local Imam.
  • The AFP Brisbane Office has increased their contact
    with the Islamic Community and the Islamic Council of Queensland.  The
    office regularly attends Muslim community events and provides advice on the role
    of the AFP and impact of relevant legislation.
2001-ongoing
Student Address
AFP has addressed Muslim students in relation to
discrimination and fears held by the community.

Links with the Female Islamic
Community
Female AFP members have attended meetings with female
members of the Islamic community in Brisbane to discuss issues and concerns they
may have in dealing with the AFP.

Protective Security Intelligence (PSI) and the
Islamic Community
PSI officers throughout Australia continue to meet
with members of the Australian Islamic community to provide it with a voice in
the federal law enforcement sphere. This contact was supported by regular
meetings between senior members of the Islamic community and the AFP.
AFP
Chaplaincy

Muslim
Chaplain
Mr Khalil Chami is the first Muslim Chaplain for the
AFP and NSW Police. Khalil is available for religious matters and as a source of
advice on Islamic culture and religion, including as a lecturer for AFP courses
or as a guest speaker.
2002- ongoing
Islam and Its
Mis-

representation
Article in Platypus, the AFP quarterly
Magazine, by Federal Agent Mark Briskey about the misrepresentation of Islam in
the media and public discourse.
December 2002
Ethnic Radio Interviews
Federal police agents discuss multicultural issues and
crime prevention in multicultural communities. Interviews have been conducted
with federal police in Brisbane. In Canberra the Crime Prevention Superintendent
has a monthly spot on the ethnic community radio station.
Ongoing
Language and Cultural Training for the
AFP
Funding under New Policy Initiative supports
Language and Cultural Training for the AFP. This Melbourne based project
supports the development of an ongoing national framework for the AFP. The AFP
is currently engaging identified members of the Islamic community to
deliver cultural packages to the AFP through Counter-Terrorism (CT) courses. The
AFP has delivered a presentation to the United Sri Lankan Muslim Association of
Australia on the role and function of the AFP, the terrorism environment and
avenues for the Muslim community to deal with post incident (terrorism)
community backlash.
2006
National (COAG) Strategy
The AFP is engaged at a national level in Canberra as
a stakeholder and working group partner in the National (Council Of Australian
Governments) Strategy being facilitated by DIMA. The National
Strategy, which is still in developmental stage, has the
following objectives in mind: 

  • Improving AFP understanding of extremism among young
    Australian Muslims – maintaining a dialogue with Muslims and undertaking
    research to better understand Muslim community issues.
  • Building leadership capacity in the Australian Muslim
    Community – measures to strengthen the leadership and communication skills
    of moderate Muslims to better represent their communities.
  • Promoting mainstream Islam in Australia –
    Australia based training for religious and other community leaders and support
    for scholarship exchange programs to enhance people-to-people links between
    Australia and moderate Islamic countries.
  • Encouraging tolerance and social cohesion –
    communications plans to combat negative public perceptions of Islam, multi faith
    and other events to nurture understanding, projects and partnerships to foster
    inclusiveness, particularly among young Muslims and the promotion of civics
    education and Australian values.
  • Responding to Muslim Concerns – Consulting
    Australian Muslims in relation to the use of new counter-terrorism powers and
    identifying any issues which contribute to the social exclusion of Muslims from
    mainstream Australian society.
Ongoing



NATIONAL POLICE ETHNIC ADVISORY BUREAU (NPEAB) NOW
APMAB
A Closer Look National Recruitment
Video
The Bureau, in partnership with the Victoria Police
Multicultural Unit and with the cooperation of all Police jurisdictions
developed a documentary recruitment video targeting ethnic communities. The
video, titled A Closer Look National Recruitment Video, provided all
jurisdictions with a valuable marketing tool to help ensure that ethnic
communities had a more accurate understanding of the role and services of police
in Australia. The video documents a range of community policing initiatives
across all jurisdictions. The video was subtitled into five languages including
Turkish and Arabic to ensure that parents, who often play a decisive role in
terms of their children’s occupational choice, could view the video in
their first language.
November 2001
Information Sheets
Information sheets were produced to meet the
police’s need for information on cultural, religious and linguistic
matters regarding new emerging communities. In 2001 NPEAB produced information
sheets about Kosovo, Iranians, Iraqis, Afghans and the Israeli Palestinian
conflict.
2001
Dealing with Racist Violence
An educational package with video, as part of a
harmony project to address issues of racially motivated violence.
A Practical Reference
to

Religious Diversity for Operational
Police
NPEAB undertook a nation-wide consultation with police
services to identify areas of concern which operational police perceived as
possibly inhibiting the provision of culturally sensitive services to the
community. These consultations yielded a broad and varied spectrum of questions
which operational police from around Australia wished to be answered by major
religious groups. In response a ready-reference guide was designed to bridge
knowledge gaps pertaining to religiously and culturally determined
behaviours.Issues covered:

  • A brief history of Islam
  • Key Islamic celebrations and events
  • Worship practices
  • Death and related issues
  • Gender
  • Code of dress
  • Family structure and culture
  • Physical contact
  • Policing and Islamic religious practices
  • Police entering a
    mosque

For more information see:www.apmab.gov.au

Edition (2) 2002. 2006 edition currently under
review
AUSTRALASIAN POLICE MULTICULTURAL ADVISORY BUREAU
AND THE AUSTRALIAN MULTICULTURAL
FOUNDATION

(AMF)
Developing Partnerships and Working
Together
:

Responding to concerns from
the Muslim community in Australia following the tragedies of September 11, 2001
and the Bali Bombings in October 2002.
A national forum, Developing Partnerships and
Working Together
, was held in Melbourne to discuss key issues facing members
of the Muslim community. The meeting included discussions of key issues facing
members of the Muslim community including how to work more closely with police
to ensure safety and how to improve recognition of Muslims as members of
Australian society. The aim of the meeting was to open new communication
channels between Australian Muslim communities and police and reassure community
members that incidents of racial vilification would not be tolerated and that
perpetrators would be dealt with to the full extent of the law.
2002
AUSTRALASIAN POLICE MULTICULTURAL ADVISORY BUREAU
Qualitative study on Recruitment and
Retention
The study examined workplace experiences and
perceptions of police officers from CALD backgrounds and identified factors
which might impact on those officers’ decision to leave or stay in the
organisation. The data was obtained from qualitative research and in depth
interviews. Respondents comprised a cohort of officers from diverse backgrounds
including Dutch, Turkish, Greek, Vietnamese, Serbian, Italian, Egyptian, Indian,
Armenian, Filipino, Indonesian, German and a component of Anglo-Celtic officers.
The study comprised 20 officers including four women.
APMAB/ Mosaic Fund
The Mosaic Fund provides funding assistance for
projects undertaken by CALD communities and police to work together in
partnership to enhance community relations and address issues of discrimination
and racism. Projects address the following themes:

  • Enhancing communication and fostering trust between
    police and young people from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse
    backgrounds;
  • Anti-Arab or anti-Muslim prejudice;
  • Building partnerships and better relationships between
    new and emerging communities and Police; and
  • Arabic speaking communities and people who practice
    Islam


Former Mosaic Fund award
winners

Arabic culture and language
training: 2002


Victorian Arabic Social
Services

Commander Ashley Dickinson, Victoria
Police


Working Together in Partnership:
2003


South Australian Lebanese Women’s
Association and Senior Constable Russel Disher, South Australian
Police.

The aim of this project was to help
foster awareness of the challenges and issues facing Arabic-speaking youth and
the benefits of their positive participation in both Arabic-speaking and wider
Australian community. In developing communication, co-operation and trusting
relationships, all stakeholders were encouraged to create an environment that is
safe and seen to be fair and equally accessible.


Practical Reference to Religious Diversity for
Operational Police (2nd edition)
This reference book seeks to help police deliver
religiously appropriate services and includes information about Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander spirituality, Baha'i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu,
Islamic, Jewish, and Sikh Faiths. General background information about each
religion is provided together with information about key religious festivals,
sects, and worship practices. Also highlighted are issues relating to death,
gender and family roles, physical contact, religious practices and policing
(including examples of how religious teachings may impact on the delivery of
police and emergency services). This will be updated for the third time in 2006.
A Guide to the Role of Police in Australia
This publication is aimed at assisting newly-arrived
migrants in understanding their rights and responsibilities under Australia Law.
The publication includes the role of police, the role of courts, the role of
police liaison officers, police powers, reporting a crime, an overview of
criminal offences in Australia, the rights of children as well as what to do if
you are questioned or arrested by the police and what to do if you are a victim
of crime. Publications were made available in all states and territories. The
guide was produced in 8 languages including Arabic. It is available at: www.apmab.gov.au
The Recruitment & Retention of CALD
Officers
APMAB (in conjunction with Myriad Consultants and NSW
Police) is currently developing a set of guidelines to assist police
jurisdictions on the recruitment and retention of Multicultural Liaison
Officers. This is due to be completed by the end of 2006. This will include a
National Statement of Principles of issues and strategies underlying recruitment
from ethnic communities.
Police Media Descriptors
‘Police Media Descriptors: A National
Research Project to Collection of Data to Inform the Development of a Set of
National Standards.’


A research study
and survey of the current police practices in regards to using descriptors in
all jurisdictions, the need for training in relation to descriptors and the
development of national set of standards. The research identified where people
of the Muslim faith were subject of an investigation, it would have been
beneficial to have had better cultural understanding. Two thirds of the
respondents to the survey indicated their desire to receive cultural awareness
training.
New Arrivals Kit
DIMA provided $50,000 to assist the development and
production of the New Arrivals Kit. The kit provides simple but vital
information on the role of police in Australia to assist in the settlement of
newly arrived migrants and refugees in Australia. The information was produced
in English and translated into seven identified community languages including
Arabic, Farsi, Bosnian, Vietnamese, Afghani and Somali.
2006
Multilingual Brochures
APMAB has produced multilingual brochures in 8
languages on How to Report Crime. Available at: www.apmab.gov.au
Newsletters
The bi-annual newsletter Bureau Bulletin keeps
community groups abreast of APMAB’s activities and is used as a way of
communicating with the community.
Police and CALD Communities Consultative National
Forum
APMAB with AMF and Victorian Multicultural
Commission (VMC)
APMAB in partnership with AMF and VMC conducted a
national consultative forum for police and communities from CALD backgrounds on
June 21, 2006 at the Tasmanian Police Academy in Hobart. The aim of the
consultative forum was to:

  • identify current and emerging issues of concern
    relating to policing multicultural communities;
  • exchange of information and learning between police
    jurisdictions on cultural diversity matters;
  • showcase best practice models of communication and
    community relations strategies operating in each State and Territory;
  • provide a national public forum for dialogue and
    discourse between police and CALD communities; and
  • provide Police Commissioners with recommendations to
    enhance service delivery.

The outcome
of this forum will be the development of strategies to enhance police service
delivery to its CALD customer base and information derived from the forum will
inform policing priorities for police jurisdictions. One workshop at the forum
was on violence, vilification and victimisation. In this workshop discussion
revolved around:

  • The onus of the victim to prove victimisation in
    current legislation.
  • Heightened security measures and terrorism were feeding
    perpetrators of hate crimes in relations to Muslim communities.
  • Concern that police did not take reports of instances
    of racial crime seriously enough.

The
workshop raised an awareness of hate crime and demonstrated the police responses
to these issues. A number of key issues arose from the discussions. Other
workshops aimed to assist the police and communities influence and help improve
strategies for working together. Good and bad practice factors were indicated.
There was also recognition of the need to evaluate the success of
programs.

National Forum of Police
Chaplains

APMAB, in partnership with Victoria Police and the
AMF, conducted a national information forum for police chaplains to discuss the
interrelationship between religion and cultural diversity in the context of
Australia’s social cohesion. The forum was conducted in response to recent
public discourse surrounding faith and interfaith issues and to exchange
information between police Chaplains from all jurisdictions around Australia and
New Zealand.The outcomes of the Forum include:

  • exchange of information on religious diversity issues;
  • a forum to showcase best practice models; and
  • enhanced networking between police Chaplains and other
    faith networks.
Workshop for Police-Community
Liaison Officers
The role of PCLO is to provide dialogue and
communication between the police and community groups from ethnic and
linguistically diverse groups. The outcome of this workshop was a set of
recommendations including:

  • the need to coordinate a set of guidelines for
    strategies and training across all jurisdictions;
  • promotion of PCLO’s; and
  • establish a national reference group for uniformity
    project priority determination nation wide.
AUSTRALIAN MULTICULTURAL FOUNDATION
Ethnic Youth Gangs in Australia. Do They
Exist?
A series of detailed research reports on ethnic youth
and gangs prepared by Rob White, Santina Perrone, Carmel Guerra and Rosario
Lampugnani. Includes Report No. 2 on Turkish Young People, 1999, and Report No.
4 on Somalian Young People, 1999. One of the aims of this report was to obtain
information on how police officers responded to ethnic minority young people and
‘gang’ members. The report proposed strategies including: the
adoption of appropriate community policing practices for positive and
constructive interaction between police and ethnic minority youths.
Constructing a Local Multi-faith
Network
A kit for religiously and civic-minded people to
enable them to create multi-faith networks within their local communities with
the aim of generating dialogue, understanding, cooperation and interaction
between local faith groups. This kit provides detailed processes to enable
communities to develop their own multi-faith network. For more information:

www.amf.net.au/rsch_research_religion

DiversityCohesion.shtml
National Youth Muslim Summit
AMF held a summit for young Muslims from all around
Australia to discuss issues concerning young Muslims. It was discussed that
there was a need for community building and one of the methods through which
this could be achieved was recruiting more CALD police across the different
police jurisdictions.
FAMILY COURT OF AUSTRALIA
Families and the Law in
Australia
The aim of this Living in Harmony project is to
help empower different communities in their interactions with the family law
system of Australia. As part of this project, models and strategies were
developed to work with new and emerging communities including Afghan, Somali,
Eritrean, Ethiopian, Sudanese and Iraqi communities, and other communities as
appropriate. The project undertook four pilots in New South Wales, Victoria,
South Australia, and Tasmania.
NEW SOUTH WALES
NEW SOUTH WALES POLICE
Police and Community
Training

(PACT)






















































PACT projects were established to foster and
facilitate co-operation and goodwill between police and their local communities.



Marrickville PACT: Marrickville
Speaks


A CD-Rom on policing within a
multicultural society for schools, police, universities and community groups.



Kogarah PACT: A Little
Respect


Video education resource which
explores police and youth relations, to bridge the gap between police and youth.
The resources were developed with consultancy support from the Open Training
& Education Network (OTEN) of NSW
TAFE.


Fairfield PACT


A pool hall used as a drop-in centre
once a week for police and local young people was the focus of this project.
Attracting 200 young people at each session, the PACT team was overwhelmed with
the level of interest amongst youth and police in finding appropriate venues
where two groups can interact to come to a better understanding of each
other’s experience and
expectations.


Cabramatta
KARES


Kids at Risk Excursions was a
proactive strategy targeting young people ‘at risk’ who may benefit
from participating in structured programs such as camps, workshops and day
excursions with police.


Cabramatta
Video PACT: A Question of Trust


A video
education resource focusing on the roles, experiences and expectations of police
and the local communities they serve. Coordinated jointly by police and
community representatives with consultancy support from
OTEN.


Penrith/St Marys PACT: A New
Dawn


A 28 minute English video addressing
domestic violence and its impact on families and communities of culturally
diverse backgrounds. Four working parties were formed from the Indian, Arabic
speaking, Filipino and Pacific Islander communities to develop a framework for
culturally appropriate information and training strategies. Grass roots
education through to broader awareness raising campaigns were also
implemented.


Bankstown/Campsie
PACT


This project consisted of several
key stages designed to enhance police-community relations through training and
interaction - community orientation for new police officers in the area, two
days intensive training for police on understanding the critical components of
confrontations and community issues by reflecting on everyday practice and
identifying strategies, consultation with stakeholders, positive contact
program, research and roundtable meeting with young people in independently
facilitated sessions.


Flemington
PACT


A video education resource and
facilitated workshops involving young people, their parents and police - the
project addressed issues concerning the relationship between police and young
people, the role of parents and the fostering of positive relationships between
parents and police.



Following a Ministerial
directive in the early 2000s, PACT was renamed IMPACT.
Innovative Models of Police and Community Training
(IMPACT)
The aim of each IMPACT funded project is to identify a
priority and a forum through which police and their local community may work in
partnership over a period of time. A community development approach is used in
order to ensure full community participation and input throughout all stages of
the project. Community consultation is therefore undertaken based on models
developed and decided upon by members of local
committees.



The IMPACT program initiative in
Bankstown consisted of a five stage program involving consultations with police,
young people, parents and service providers; community inductions for
probationary and new constables; cultural diversity training for police;
Positive Contact sessions between police and young people and community
information.



IMPACT resources in Arabic:

  • Youth Liaison Officer
  • How to Avoid Bag Snatchers
  • Dangerous and Restricted Dogs
  • What to do if your Child (under 18) is
    Arrested
  • If you are stopped by Police when Driving
  • How to prevent Robbery and Stealing
  • Criminal Infringement Notice
  • Weapons & Other Prohibited
    Items

Future IMPACT projects are expected to focus mainly on
NSW Police Force Local Area Commands to build greater police capacity to operate
in a culturally diverse society.

Who We Are
Project Partners: Constable Lucas Cameron and
Al-Zahra College


St George Local Area Command
(LAC) received project funding under APMAB’s Mosaic Fund to continue work
commenced with Al-Zarah College primary school on raising awareness around
safety and the role of police in the community. Members of the Crime Management
Unit, primarily the Crime Prevention Officer, Youth Liaison Officer and Ethnic
Community Liaison Officer (ECLO) attend classes bimonthly to present interactive
material on topics covering bullying, vandalism, road safety and child
protection. The interactive nature of the project aims to build relationships
between officers and school children and to dispel myths about the police
through face-to-face interactions. It is envisaged that through these positive
experiences and relationships police will also have an opportunity to work on
building relationships with the parents and families of students and the
communities of which they are a part. The program also helps police to become
more familiar with community groups and any issues of marginalization they may
encounter as expressed by the students.
Be Engaged Be Proud
Project Partners: ECLO Munther Emad; Holroyd City
Council; Holroyd and Parramatta Youth Services Network (H.A.P.Y.N); Holroyd High
School.


This project aimed to promote
community harmony through facilitating and improving relationships between
police and young people. Holroyd LAC conducted a series of community
consultations organised with a focus on managing violence following increased
tensions, racism and harassment of Muslim and Arabic speaking communities as a
result of international terrorist incidents and the Iraq war. Other activities
included:

  • A training day on working effectively with young
    people.
  • A soccer game including police, young people, teachers
    and youth workers.
  • A sports day.
  • A survey on issues impacting police/youth
    relations.
  • Crime prevention workshop.
Community Information Sessions
Local Area Commanders, ECLOs, Crime Prevention
Officers and other commissioned officers attend a large number of community
meetings to provide information to communities on various topics. Their
attendance also serves the purpose of gathering information that will be
relevant to designing and delivering services. In particular Crime Prevention
Officers, Youth Liaison Officers and ECLOs have specific functions identified in
their position descriptions that give them the responsibility to promote
awareness in the community of various policing initiatives and police roles.
These points of contact provide useful means of informing police of local needs
and priorities within ethnic community groups and also give rise to matters that
are taken up from a corporate perspective by the Cultural Diversity Team and
other parts of the organisation.

Police Assistance Line (PAL)
PAL has specially developed a tailored training
package for police around cross-culture communication. The package is
incorporated into the induction training for all customer service operators and
team leaders. The training focuses on the use of interpreters, understanding the
communication issues that might impact on the ability of non-English speakers
reporting crimes and having knowledge of the operating procedures of how to
access the Telephone Interpreter Service.
NSW Police Force Corporate Communication
Branch
A contracted, qualitative and quantitative research
project about the strategies of recruitment of young people from Muslim
backgrounds. The objectives of the qualitative study were to identify attitudes
specific to Islamic faith (if any) that would influence attitudes among Muslims
between 16 and 34 toward policing as a career and identify if the attitudes
towards policing as a career changes from first generation to second
generation.

Orientation for officers
Program to introduce new officers to the local
community and raise awareness of language and cultural needs of local
communities
Police & Arabic Media
Partnership
This partnership provides Arabic speaking communities
with regular information on police services such as police procedures, community
safety and domestic violence. Participants include SBS radio, 2000 FM Muslim
Community Radio and Channel 31 community television.
Diversity: The Strength Behind the
Force
A forum addressing the Recruitment & Retention of
Police from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse background.
Ethnic Communities Liaison Officer-
Flyer in Arabic explaining the role and functions of
ECLOs

Visits to Mosque & Open Day
The local Manly ECLO officer organised a police visit
to the local mosque on Id-fitr which included collaborative work with the Muslim
leaders in hosting an open day in April 2003.
1st Ethnic Media Conference
An initiative of the ECLO program which identified the
need for targeted communication of information on recent changes to police
powers. The topic of the media conference was Criminal Infringement
Notices
.

Drugs, Young People and the Law
Information booklet in Arabic and English for parents
of young people aged under 18. This was an initiative of the Fairfield Drug
Action Team, The Law Foundation of NSW, Drug Programs Coordination Unit of the
NSW Police Service, Burnside Cabramatta, Fairfield Health Services, NSW
Department of Juvenile Justice and the Office of the Minister of Police.

Integrated Case Management Pilot
Project
Campsie is the target command in the Integrated
Case Management Pilot Project
under the Arabic Youth Partnership. The model
aims to refer disaffected youth and their families to a coordinated committee of
government and non-government services providers to address critical issues and
map out sustainable solutions.

  • Knowledge, respect, education, winners (KREW) 4 weeks
    program and camp for young women from Arabic and Pacific Islander background.
    This program focused on ‘at risk’ youth, was funded by the Arabic
    Youth partnerships project and was conducted by Campsie LAC and Belmore Police,
    Community and Youth Club (PCYC).
  • Campsie LAC along with Sudanese Association Australia
    has been successful in getting a meeting space for the Sudanese community on
    Thursday nights at Belmore Youth Centre.
Police and Community Youth Clubs (PCYC) Arabic
Youth Programs
In connection with the Youth Partnership with Arabic
speaking communities PCYCs have been given funding to run sporting activities
with Arabic speaking youths. Officers running the programs underwent
cross-cultural awareness training. As a result of these programs the membership
of young people from Arabic Speaking Communities has increased. A series of
consultations were undertaken in each of the participating centres and through
these consultations further art, recreation and sporting activities have been
organised in each PCYC. The participating centres are:

  • Burwood
  • St George
  • Parramatta
  • Belmore
  • Bankstown
Auburn School Holiday Program
Auburn Police Station has been actively involved in
their local community’s School Holiday programs.

Goulburn Police Academy Excursion
Auburn Police ran a recruitment drive for African
youths. This included a trip to Goulburn Police Academy. This initiative aimed
to increase CALD community members in the police force.
NSW Police Priorities for Working within a
Culturally, Linguistically and Religiously Diverse Society and Ethnic Affairs
Priorities Statement (EAPS) Forward Plan 2006-9
This publication is intended to enhance the level of
internal and external awareness of the issues impacting contemporary policing.
This reflects the need to successfully operate in a culturally, linguistically
and religiously diverse community, and to provide culturally competent services.
The guide provides detailed examples, scenarios and situations through which to
explain how culturally competent policing may best be achieved. The EAPS forward
plan identifies 5 key areas on which the plan is focused. The identified areas
will be further developed building on work already done by the NSW Police and
which reflect community needs.

Consultations with Coffs Harbour Sudanese
Community
Consultations were conducted regarding particular
interests, experiences and difficulties of the community. A workshop was carried
out to facilitate access to relevant services, which helped to develop an
integrated service response to emerging communities.




The consultation process, coordinated by the
NSWP cultural diversity team, included:

  • A round table discussion with service providers from
    government and non-government organisations in the Coffs Harbour area to map
    service and support issues from the perspective of working with the emerging
    Sudanese community.
  • Meeting with members of the local Sudanese community to
    directly hear their issues and concerns facing the community. In preparing for
    this, the NSW Police Cultural Diversity Team (CDT) spoke with service providers
    working with African communities in the Sydney metropolitan area to compare
    issues and devise the most effective way of engaging culturally with the local
    community
  • Discussing with police officers in the Coffs/Clarence
    LAC the sorts of incidents that create concern for them in working with members
    of the Sudanese community and, through their own experiences, workshopping the
    skills and supports that would assist them to effectively manage diversity. The
    consultation was followed up with a written questionnaire completed by police
    officers.
  • Meeting with Aboriginal Community Liaison Officers from
    Coffs/Clarence LAC to explore issues between the local Aboriginal and Sudanese
    communities that contributed to a sense of community disharmony and police
    intervention.

Best Interests of the Child
Program
The NSWP have been invited to participate in this
Family Court initiative. This program seeks to combat a lack of understanding
especially in non-English speaking communities, and amongst new migrants and
refugees about how Australian laws directly impact family
relations.

Cultural diversity helpline
A cultural diversity helpline has been set up to
provide timely advice to local area and specialist commands in relation to
issues of cultural, linguistic and religious diversity.
Police Partnership with the Lebanese Moslem
Association (LMA)
This partnership was particularly important in the
aftermath of the El-Chami Batch murder in claming community tensions. A shrine
erected at the bus-interchange where the murder occurred was sensitively removed
by members of the LMA, police from Arabic-speaking backgrounds, and Batch family
members as it was a focus of emotion and hostility, with the potential to
escalate into further violence. The overall handling of the El-Chami Batch
murder saw a marked improvement on the part of police and more effective and
culturally competent response overall.
Integrated Case Management Model
This model, (an outcome of findings from the Youth
Partnership and Arabic speaking community’s project by the Premier’s
Department), aims to address the needs of young people from the Arabic speaking
communities who are at serous risk of offending. Objectives
include:

  • Diverting ‘at risk’ young people away from
    the criminal justice system.
  • Developing mechanisms for reporting and evaluation in
    collaboration with relevant academic and industry experts.
  • Capturing relevant qualitative and quantitative data
    illustrating the extent of and the reasons for the involvement of young people
    of Arabic backgrounds in crime.
Prejudice motivated crime
reporting
The NSW Police Force, under its EAPS Forward Plan
2006-2009 will facilitate greater consistency in the way that prejudice related
incidences are identified, recorded and analysed to inform crime prevention,
reduction and investigation strategies.
Issues Impacting Arabic-Speaking Communities in
Auburn Local Area Command (LAC)
Flemington LAC implemented plans to clearly identify
the issues that impact on the relationship between Arabic-Speaking communities
in Auburn LAC and the police.

Projects included:

  • Neighbourhood visits allowing for face-to-face
    interaction in a positive environment.
  • A police and community forum.
  • Unplanned meetings with youth discussing police roles,
    procedures and initiatives, which gave young people an opportunity to voice
    concerns of police discrimination.
  • Parents meeting with the commission to facilitate trust
    and communication.
  • Informal communications with community members helped
    develop rapport in the community.
Examples of networks formed by
LACs
Rosehill LAC has helped to establish a network of
African communities under the auspice of the Granville Multicultural Community
Centre to consult African youth on issues around education and employment and
provide appropriate support. From its early days the network has grown into a
forum which now embraces members from African communities in Blacktown, Auburn,
Granville, Parramatta and Holroyd. Police officers from Rosehill LAC actively
participate in the network.



Macquarie Fields
and Campbelltown LACs jointly convene the Arabic Community Advisory Committee
and Fijian, Samoan and Tongan Steering Committees to promote better awareness of
community safety, crime prevention and positive police relationships with
communities.


Police and Community Working
Together
: an advisory committee to Flemington LAC concerned with issues
impacting on its relationship with diverse local communities.
Liverpool police and community workers
consultation
Liverpool LAC conducted consultations with community
workers in the LAC to assess the needs of local populations from culturally and
linguistically diverse backgrounds. The specific focus of the consultations was
the information needs of non-English speaking communities relating to the law
and policing in Liverpool.

The consultation
yielded strategies and recommendations around the areas that are central to
making information non-English speaking communities available and effective.
They include:

  • Community consultation;
  • Police and community networking;
  • Translated materials;
  • Media promotion and relationships;
  • Joint police and community projects and
    funding;
  • Community education; and
  • Training for police.
Positive Identities Of Muslim Women in St
George
St George LAC conducted consultations with Muslim
women in the St George area on their experiences, including experiences of
crime, in the local area. The consultations clearly demonstrated that Muslim
women were facing negative responses in the community based on stereotypes of
their cultural background, religion or both. In response to these findings,
funding was received from the Community Relations Commission (CRC) to design and
run a program to promote cultural and religious harmony and understanding,
particularly with respect to Islam and its community profile. The program was
titled Positive Identities of Muslim Women in St George and primarily
involved local women sharing stories of success and positive experiences to
build a sense of community participation and counteract negative understandings
of Islam in the local community.
Fairfield Police and Community
Forum
This forum was established as a mechanism through
which to consult with the community. The aim of the forum was to strengthen
police and community relations through consultations, networking and creating
measures to address mutual concerns.
Flemington Friendly Comps
Flemington LAC has organised friendly sporting
competitions between police officers and young people from identified
communities. In particular, soccer tournaments were organised between police and
young people from Turkish and African backgrounds.

Flemington Relationships with Police, Parents,
Children
The project based in Flemington LAC focuses on the
interrelationships between young people and police, the role of parents in
determining relationships between their children and police and parents’
own relationships with the police. The target audiences are local police, Arabic
speaking, Turkish and Korean communities. To explore these issues, a training
package is being developed for police and families comprising a video, training
notes and information and a facilitated workshop model. The video will focus
on:

  • Policing domestic violence;
  • Break, enter and steal offences;
  • Truancy;
  • ‘Move along’ directions; and
  • Traffic offences.

An Engagement of Understanding
This annual ‘quiz’ style forum allows for
young people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, their
parents and local service providers to explore issues around law and order.
Officers from Rosehill LAC participate centrally in the preparation and delivery
of the forum. During the forum, police officers are present to provide
information and answer the audience’s questions on laws affecting young
people and parents, police roles and procedures and general issues around
improved relationships between police, young people from diverse backgrounds and
their families. The participation of Rosehill LAC has been formally recognised
and will continue on an annual basis.
Holroyd Safety and Police Career
Expo
Holroyd LAC organised and hosted the Holroyd Safety
and Police Career Expo
, which was held over two days at Merrylands Stockland
Mall with the involvement of NSW Police Recruitment Branch and NSW Fire
Brigades. Information was disseminated in English and community languages on
various topics including crime prevention and community safety, emergency
management, community health, road safety and the role of police and emergency
services. The ECLO participated in Arabic Carnival 2005 by staffing a stall with
police officers offering information on policing, crime prevention and other
policing topics in Arabic and English.
Fairfield Safety Seminars
Five safety seminars were delivered in August 2005 to
Villawood residents focusing on boundaries between Fairfield and Bankstown LACs,
contacting police, reporting crime and home and personal safety. The five
seminars were presented in English, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Arabic and Spanish.
Nine sessions on the role of police in Australia, reporting crime, crime
prevention, police and the law, violent behaviour, parking and infringements
were presented to Fairfield Australian Centre for Languages ACL students in
Arabic, Assyrian, Dinka, Vietnamese, Mandarin and English (for mixed language
groups).
Flemington: Religious and Police
Communication
Religious organisations were accessed to communicate
information to particular groups from diverse backgrounds on topics ranging from
domestic violence to reporting crime and the role of police. Targeted sessions
included:

  • The Arabic speaking congregation of Auburn
    Mosque.

Domestic Violence
The Wollongong ECLO has addressed Turkish and Arabic
speaking women’s groups on issues of domestic violence and safety.

Radio
NSWPF ECLOs frequently use SBS Radio, including SBS
Arabic radio and 2000FM Arabic radio to promote policing services, the ECLO
program and local initiatives, personal and home safety tips, crime prevention
information and means of contacting police including ‘000’, the
Police Assistance Line, Crime Stoppers and local police station numbers. Radio
2ME, a 24-hour Arabic broadcast station also features a regular half-hour
program on community policing including the role and activities of ECLOs,
policing as a career, crime prevention, safety awareness and reporting
crime.
Paving the Way- Strengthening Relationships between
NSW Police and Emerging Communities
Holroyd LAC and Baulkham Hills Holroyd Parramatta
Migrant Resource Centre produced a report presenting findings from a survey that
focused on crime prevention and early intervention within newly arrived
community groups. The survey allowed members of emerging communities to express
their concerns and views about their understanding of policing in Australia.
This has enabled this LAC to gain a greater depth of insight into the needs and
concerns of emerging communities in their area so that the police and these
communities can plan effective partnership responses to fighting and preventing
crime in this LAC.



Findings. Emerging
communities;

  • Generally have a lack of knowledge about their rights,
    responsibilities and obligations under the law;
  • May misinterpret police procedures and
    actions;
  • Find it difficult to communicate due to language,
    cultural and social barriers;
  • There is an overwhelming ‘thirst’ for
    knowledge about the legal system and law enforcement in Australia;
  • Many felt a trust in the police;
  • Feel that individual attitudes and behaviours of police
    and community members play a big role in ensuring positive interactions and
    intervention;
  • Wish for a conciliatory approach when dealing with
    conflict;
  • Highlight the importance of religious and community
    leaders;
  • Disadvantage of women due to settlement challenges;
    and
  • Racial violence is of
    concern.



Recommendations:

  • Community policing awareness: through information and
    education programs on rights and responsibilities.
  • Educational media to enhance police-community
    relationships.
  • Partnership policing: establishing links between
    schools, youth centres, community organisations, and leaders, both formal and
    informal activities.
  • Cross-cultural awareness training for police
    officers.
  • Community harmony: breaking down stereotypes and
    misunderstanding.
  • Police liaison officers.
  • Recruitment from these
    communities.
Engaging the Afghani Muslim
Community
The Granville and Parramatta LAC’s are currently
involved in an initiative with leaders from the Afghani Mosque, the Nabi Akram
Centre, to engage the Afghani Muslim Community. The initiative will involve a
number of presentations to the community with a focus on road safety.
Presentations focusing on domestic violence and personal safety have already
been given to Afghani women. Community radio sessions have been planned for the
future.
September 2006
Parramatta High School
The ECLO from Parramatta LAC has been involved in
resolving issues involving Muslim boys at Parramatta High School. This has
provided a good opportunity to build trust and communication networks between
these boys and the Parramatta police.
Involvement with the Nabi Akram
Centre
Granville Police have a long history of association
and cooperation with the Nabi Akram Centre. The centre is the main religious
organisation of the Shiite Muslims in Sydney. Police have participated in many
of their initiatives such as a seminar and workshop on the harmful aspects of
drugs, road safety issues, domestic violence, seminars on an anti-terrorist
theme and occasions marking important events in Muslim calendar.

Involvement with the Granville Islamic Youth
Association
Granville police work with this organisation in many
different ways; for example, in times of crisis such as during the arrest of
terrorist suspects in Sydney and other cities in Australia as well as during
periods of tension generated by political situations in the Middle East. The
organisation is currently involved in two projects:

  • educating young people from Lebanese background in
    matters of crime, drug abuse and safe driving.
  • Religion and Family Harmony; a project focused
    on domestic violence.
Association with the Charitable Islamic Association
of the City of Beirut
The organisation has helped police in settling
neighbourhood disputes in the LAC and participates in LAC PACT meetings. Police
take an active part in various meetings and forums organised by the
organisation.
POLICE AND COMMUNITY YOUTH CLUB COFFS
HARBOUR

Harmony Puppet Project in partnership with

Living in Harmony
This project was developed to engage youth from
diverse backgrounds (Indigenous, Sudanese and other migrants) in activities as a
response to stereotyping and conflict. Through a series of art workshops
targeting youth from a variety of cultural backgrounds, young people work
together to explore their experiences of discrimination. They developed puppets
and a script for a show based on themes of racism and harmony that they
identified. The young people were to be supported by a range of community groups
working together and the issues raised were to be discussed at a public
community forum. The young people performed the puppet show at primary schools
as a prompt for classroom discussion on the issues.
2005
NSW LAW AND JUSTICE FOUNDATION
Protecting Human

Rights in Australia
The Foundation provided grants to the Public Interest
Advocacy Centre for the translation of the community education kit, Protecting Human Rights in Australia into Arabic, Vietnamese and Chinese
to ensure that these communities have access to the information. The
translations allow people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
to access information about human rights, and additionally support nation-wide
training to equip individuals and community groups to participate effectively in
human rights discussion. The education kit includes information in Arabic
about:

  • Human Rights protection in Australia
  • Discrimination (Age)
  • Civil and political rights
  • Racial and religious discrimination
  • Refugees and asylum seekers
  • Women’s rights
Domestic violence is not OK and

Apprehended Violence
Orders
This Project was developed by the Immigrant
Women’s Speakout Association Inc. Migrant and refugee women coming to
Australia are often unaware that domestic violence is a crime and that services
are available for the victims. Low literacy and lack of information in their own
language are major barriers to awareness. There are few print/online resources
on domestic violence for new and emerging communities and no audio resources.
The project developed two plays on domestic violence, Domestic violence is
not OK
and Apprehended Violence Orders, which were broadcasted on SBS
radio in Dinka, Sudanese Arabic, Somali, Kriol and Dari. The plays have been
recorded on CD and published on their website. The Centre will distribute the
CDs, accompanied by an English transcript, to service providers and to SBS and
community radio stations. By raising awareness, the project aims to contribute
to reducing the incidence of domestic violence in new and emerging communities.
Terrorism laws ASIO, the police and
you
Anti-terrorism laws booklet in community languages,
developed by UTS Community Law Centre. This project aims to provide people from
culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, recent migrants, refugees and
Islamic communities with targeted information about anti-terrorism laws in their
own language. Since the book’s launch in 2004 3000 copies have been
distributed and ongoing demand for copies has been high. The Foundation grant
will support an update of the booklet and translation into Arabic, Indonesian
and Urdu. The translations will be available in hard copy and
online:
www.law.uts.edu.au/clc/projects/ASIO_police.html
Taking Orders - Apprehended Violence Orders in
NSW
The resource comprises a sub-titled video and
accompanying translated booklet, and is aimed both at female victims of domestic
violence and the service providers who assist them. The first part of the video
and booklet follows three women through the AVO process, showing different
outcomes, while the second part illustrates the legal process. The videos
provide subtitles in Arabic and Vietnamese.
Justice Made to Measure: NSW Legal Needs Survey in
Disadvantaged Areas
Comprehensive research into the legal needs of
disadvantaged populations in NSW. Many of the areas surveyed in this report have
a large Muslim community presence.
NSW OMBUDSMAN
Workshops on police and community
relationships
This workshop on 'strategic relationships' aims to
inform the community about the role of the Ombudsman, particularly in handling
complaints about police and their function in legislative review. The workshop
is open to community groups, especially those having a relationship with
police.
Information Sheet
General information available in Arabic: Making a
complaint to the Ombudsman
, see: www.ombo.nsw.gov.au
COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMISSION FOR A MULTICULTURAL
NSW
Hotline
A telephone hotline was established on 13 September
2001 to assist community members experiencing problems resulting from the
attacks on September 11. Initially, a 24 hour Arabic hotline was set up and from
14 November 2001 a Punjabi language line was open from 5pm- 9pm. In the first 5
weeks following September 11, Arabic and Punjabi hotlines received 400 calls.
Around 13% of callers had contacted police by the time they contacted the
hotline. There were some complaints about police responses. Evidence collected
through the hotline suggested that the events of September 11 impacted heavily
on community relations in NSW. Calls to the hotline tapered off significantly
after 5 weeks. In October 2002 in response to the Bali bombings and throughout
the lead up to and outbreak of hostilities in Iraq, community members had the
capacity to report incidents of abuse, insult or discrimination to the
Commission via the hotline as well as via email.
2001
2002
Community Harmony Crisis Management
Plan
The Community Harmony Reference group was formed as a
response to the 2002 Bali Bombings to ensure a coordinated and rapid response to
any community relations issue arising from the events. The Reference group
recommended that the Commission develop a Community Relations Crisis Management
Plan to maintain and manage community harmony in NSW following local and
international events which may strain community relations. The reference group
included a senior NSW police officer, as well as representatives from Islamic
and Arabic groups, and Turkish groups.


Initiatives included:

  • Fact sheets to deal with bomb threats and threatening
    phone calls published in Arabic, Turkish, Indonesian and Urdu. This was
    implemented directly in conjunction with NSW Police
  • Better community access to information regarding the
    Terrorist (Police Powers) Act 2002 (NSW)
AUSTRALIAN MUSLIM CIVIL RIGHT ADVOCACY NETWORK
(AMCRAN)
Workshops
Conducts community legal educations sessions that have
been attended by more than 350 people. It also provides legal information to
community and religious leaders and conducts courses on broader areas of law of
interest of the Muslim community, such as racial and religious vilification.
Seminars
For example: a seminar by Dr Ben Saul (UNSW), AMCRAN
Seminar on the Anti-Terrorism Act (No 2) 2005 (NSW), Bankstown Town
Hall.
Submissions
Submissions in regard to the new state and territory
detentions powers and other newly introduced legislation. Recent submissions
have focused on the new terrorist legislation, especially in regards to holding
powers. Submissions have also covered areas such as existing police powers and
federal police powers.
Racial Discrimination and Vilification Law Training
Course
Racial Discrimination and Vilification Law Seminar for
members of the community, including those who work actively within the Muslim
community. There were approximately 25 attendees including lawyers, law
students, professionals, local council members, and youth workers from Muslim
women’s organisations.
2005
Anti-Terrorism information kit
AMCRAN’s major project was the publication of
the booklet Terrorism Laws: ASIO, the Police and You, in co-operation with the
UTS Community Law Centre and the New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties in
June 2004. The booklet explains people’s rights and responsibilities under
Australia’s anti-terrorism legislation and attempts to answer general
questions about the legislation. The booklet also outlines the powers of the AFP
and ASIO and the rights and responsibilities of the person/people involved. Four
thousand copies were produced and distributed at various events to organisations
and individuals all around Australia. The booklet can be downloaded from
AMCRAN’s web site. A second edition of the booklet was released in 2005
and production of the third edition is underway.
2004, 2005, revision underway
Forum
AMCRAN frequently presents at and attends forums. For
example: An AMCRAN Forum was held in conjunction with Illawarra Muslim
Women’s Association. Agnes Chong from Australian Muslim Civil Rights
Advocacy Network provided information about the new anti-terror laws, including
ASIO’s power to detain and question a person for up to seven days if it
may provide the agency with information on a terrorist offence. The forum
covered issues such as a detainee’s rights and where to obtain legal
advice. It also provided members of the community with an opportunity to
participate in the review of those laws.
Newsletter
Newsletters and media bulletins on the website provide
up to date information and articles concerning issues that AMCRAN are involved
in. Articles published include Why Every Muslim Should Be Concerned About The
Proposed New Anti-Terror Laws
. This article addresses police powers, ASIO
powers and human rights issues. More information is available at: www.amcran.org
NSW ANTI-DISCRIMINATION BOARD

(NSWADB)
Arabic and Islamic Community Education
Initiative
Two Arabic speaking education officers were appointed
to the NSWADB for a six month term to work with Arabic and Islamic communities
on a range of projects aimed at combating anti-Arabic and anti-Islamic
sentiment. Projects included developing an education kit, providing education
sessions in communities and preparing informative material in Arabic to assist
Arabic speakers to deal with harassment and discrimination. The team conducted
26 community training sessions addressing 1 672 individuals, mostly in Arabic.
There were 6 training sessions for community workers and service providers with
173 participants, as well as attendance at information days at Migrant Resource
Centres and informal networking. The team also produced a referral poster to
assist community workers to refer clients appropriately when they are dealing
with discrimination matters.
Multilingual fact sheets
Multilingual Fact sheets are available in Arabic,
Farsi, Indonesian, Swahili and Turkish amongst languages.


See:www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/adb/ll_adb.nsf/

pages/adb_community_languages
Race for the Headlines: Racism and Media
Discourse
This report discusses the ways in which race related
issues are manifested in the media. The report proposes a series of
recommendations one of which is that a forum is held on the use of ethnic
descriptors by the police and the media and that the NSW Police implement a
comprehensive program for all police officers involved on collecting and
recording hate crime data.
NSW PREMIER'S DEPARTMENT WITH INVOLVEMENT FROM CRC
FOR A MULTICULTURAL NSW, NSW DET, NSW DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SERVICES, NSW
POLICE, BANKSTOWN HEALTH AND THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN SYDNEY
Youth Partnership with Arabic Speaking
Communities
The project is a joint initiative between community
representatives from Arabic speaking communities, business leaders and the State
Government. The Partnership has three objectives:

  • Promote the well being of young people from Arabic
    speaking backgrounds
  • Increase parent support and education to help prevent
    risk taking behaviour
  • Provide children and young people with better learning
    opportunities and recreational activities for long term personal development

The project primarily focuses on a
population of 110,000 people of Arabic speaking background living in 10 Local
Government Areas in Sydney's West and South-West. 17 projects, programs and
initiatives have been funded under the auspices of the Youth Partnership with
Arabic Speaking Communities project. A broad range of specific programs are
managed by six NSW government agencies and cover five key areas:

  • Youth Liaison Teams who interact with young people in
    places where they gather and try to make positive connections with young people
    or situations where young people may take part in anti-social or risk-taking
    behaviour
  • Education initiatives to strengthen school and
    community relations, reduce truancy and behavioural problems and assist young
    people with learning.
  • Parent support to ensure resources are appropriate and
    accessible to the needs of Arabic speaking families and facilitate specific
    initiatives to raise awareness and improve services to parents and families to
    help them parent
  • Aiming to engage young people in sport, recreation and
    cultural initiatives to reduce boredom and develop confidence and
    self-esteem
  • Establishment of a Community Trust where
    community and corporate sponsorships can be obtained for specific projects (in
    addition to the funds allocated by the NSW Government) .
Police and Community Youth Clubs (PCYC)
Under the NSW Premier’s Arabic Youth
Partnership, PCYC in Parramatta, St George, Belmore, Bankstown and Burwood
receive funding to conduct programs specifically designed for young people from
Arabic speaking background. The funding is channelled through the Department of
Sport and Recreation.

For more information
see: www.youthpartnership.nsw.gov.au
NSW PREMIER'S DEPARTMENT
Canterbury-Bankstown Place Project
This project involves a range of government agencies
working together in response to youth issues in the Canterbury and Bankstown
Local Government Areas. It is coordinated by the Communities Division in the
Department of Community Services. The project aims to address issues identified
by the community:

  • Crime and community Safety
  • Family support
  • Youth support and mentoring
  • Alcohol and other drugs
  • School attendance and retention
  • Employment
  • Community harmony between diverse cultures
  • Improve coordination of Government
    services



For more information
see:

www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/

solutions/canterbury/can.html

ST. GEORGE MIGRANT RESOURCE CENTRE, IN PARTNERSHIP
WITH ROCKDALE CITY COUNCIL AND ST. GEORGE POLICE
Seminar
A seminar, Understanding Arabic Speaking
Communities in the St. George Area,
was conducted for all service providers
working with Arabs and Muslims living in the St George area.
Website
Available in Arabic, Bosnian, Chinese, Eritrean,
Greek, Indonesian, Italian, Macedonian, Philippines, Spanish.
UNITED MUSLIM WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION INC.
Cross-cultural/ Religious awareness
seminars
The MWA delivers cross-cultural awareness training
sessions for service providers from local, state and federal agencies whose
clients include Muslim women. In 2002, the MWA, with support from Bankstown City
Council (Community Grants Program) delivered several sessions to local service
providers. In 2003, MWA conducted over 100 cross cultural/religious
training/information sessions to schools, community and women's health centres,
sexual assault services, Centrelink offices, Legal Aid offices, Councils, TAFEs
and universities and police services.

For more
information see: www.mwa.org.au/SEMINAR.htm
WOLLONGONG CITY COUNCIL
Living in Harmony Project: Different faiths one
vision
Wollongong received a grant from DIMA for their
project, Different Faiths One Vision. This initiative was designed to
strengthen community harmony and combat racism. The project promotes interfaith
understanding and introduces resources which can be used to encourage the
interfaith community. Resources include: bringing these issues into the
classroom, interfaith issues for young children, interfaith mapping, deep
listening, and interfaith gatherings. The project also provides fact sheets of
all faith groups in the council area.
YOUTH ACTION & POLICY ASSOCIATION
NSW
Resource Manual and Self-Paced Learning Package for
Shopping Centre and Security Guards
The package is an educational resource for shopping
centre security guards and youth workers alike to help them better understand
and respond to young people. The package has a number of exercises (with answers
provided in the back), that individual security guards can work through. The
comprehensive package can also help youth workers who might be invited to help
train local shopping centre security guards. The information provided is easily
adapted for use in face-to-face training, although the self-paced style also
allows guards from companies who might not be able to afford (money or time) to
access the information.

Available at: www.yapa.org.au/youth/facts/securityresource.php
NSW Youth Shopping Centre Protocol
Project
Creating the Space for Dialogue: The Report, by
Garner Clancey, Sally Doran, Don Robertson. This report supports the guide,
Developing a local youth shopping centre protocol. The report also
provides a more detailed discussion of issues associated with young people and
shopping centres.

Available at: www.yapa.org.au/yapa/policy/

shoppingprotocolreport.pdf
Issues for Young Refugees
This fact sheet outlines some common issues that face
young refugees. There is acknowledgement of the difficulty that some young
refugees have with the police due to negative experiences with the police and
militia in their country of origin.
THE AUSTRALIAN LEBANESE WELFARE GROUP
Young people, domestic violence, conflict and
crime
Emad, M. 2001, Young people, domestic violence,
conflict and crime, Sydney:
The
Australian Lebanese Welfare Group
, p70: The aim
of this report is to look into violence experienced by young people of
Arabic-speaking background aged between 12 and 26 years. More specifically, the
report explores young people’s views and experiences of conflict and
violence as well as their needs and expectations in regard to family and social
life in Australia, with an emphasis on investigating areas of potential conflict
or tension between young people, parents and the police.
2001
THE AUSTRALIAN PALESTINIAN CULTURAL LEAGUE
Attitude of young Australian Arabic people towards
teenage dropouts and delinquency issues
The report shows that there is a link between an
increase in the number of Arabic-speaking background youth dropping out from
schools and the high level of violent and criminal behaviour found amongst them.
The report examines the impact that this problem is having on migrant families
coming from Lebanon and other Arabic countries.
2001
THE NESB YOUTH ISSUES NETWORK
Issues Affecting Refugee Young People: Briefing
Paper
The paper identifies the main legal and justice issues
refugee young people are encountering. These include poor relationships with the
police, security guards and transit officers and a lack of understanding of
Australian laws.



The paper calls for greater
access to appropriate forms of information as to explaining how to report being
a victim of crime or how to report complaints, gaining better understanding of
the roles of police, security guards and transit officers by refugee young
people and developing a better awareness of the issues faced by refugee young
people by police, security guards and transit officers. Addressing these issues
will improve these strained relationships and help to build a sense of trust
between the parties.
March 2005
UNIVERSITY of Western Sydney (UWS)

MICHAEL KENNEDY
Zero Tolerance and the Arabic Speaking Young People
An extended literature review on the effect that zero
tolerance policing—has had on disadvantaged communities. The literature
review particularly focuses on the effect such policies have had on young people
from the Arabic speaking community. The thesis argues that zero tolerance
policing as an organisational strategy is counter-productive.
COLLINS, J., NOBLE, G. POYNTING, S AND TABOR,
P
Kebab, kids, Cops and Crime
A research book analysing and documenting the
complexities of ethnicity, racialisation, youth and crime. The writers present
evidence supporting their findings on crime and ethnicity to address the issue
of ‘ethnic youth gangs’ in Sydney. The research draws on economics,
sociology, anthropology and cultural studies methodologies and interviews with
police, parents, community workers, community leaders and youth from
Lebanese-background.
Bin Laden in the Suburb: Criminalising the Arab
Other
This book examines public worry over ‘ethnic
crime’ and what it tells us about Australia today. How did the airborne
terror attacks on the USA on 11 September 2001 exacerbate existing tendencies in
Australia to stereotype Arabs and Muslims as backward, inassimilable, without
respect for Western laws and values, and complicit with barbarism and
terrorism?
ISLAMIC FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION AND WELFARE
INC.
Reflections: The interfaith youth
workshop
Living in Harmony Project: To promote interfaith
understanding, this project will establish an interfaith youth committee in the
Fairfield local government area, in consultation with religious leaders and
representatives. Religious and cultural workshops will be provided to the young
people to build understanding of shared values. The workshops will provide
material that will be developed into an interfaith youth kit. The kit will
include a reflection manual, diary, report and CD ROM. Copies will be produced
and distributed to local community organisations and schools, in some cases
accompanied by visits by the young people to talk about the
project.
VICTORIA POLICE
Arabic Language and Culture Course for police
officers
A
training course on Arabic Culture and Language that targets Victoria Police.
This 4 day course been developed in partnership with the Victoria Police
Multicultural Affairs Unit (MAU) and is delivered by The Victorian Arabic Social
Services (VASS). It enables participants to gain a better understanding of the
Arab world, history, geography, Arabic migration to Australia, traditions and
customs, and issues of concern to women, youth, men and the elderly. Police
officers learn about the system of policing in Arabic countries, and to try and
devise strategies for better relations with the Arabic community in Victoria.
The course also includes 4 hours of introduction to the Arabic language and some
basic Arabic words and conversation. A training course was delivered in May 2004
to members and police officers of Cobram Police Station in an attempt to
strengthen the links between police and the region's Iraqi community. Similar
sessions continued to be held. For more information see:
http://www.vass.org.au/CrossCulturalTraining.html
Victoria Police also offers an Arabic Language and Culture for Police Officers course on a needs basis across the Victoria Police
Various Initiatives
Following the commencement of the war on Iraq,
Victoria Police took a number of steps to minimise racially/religious motivated
incidents and deal more effectively with such incidents reported to
police.
Formal Consultations with Multicultural Liaison
Officers (MLOs), MAU and community
Formal consultations by all Regional Assistant
Commissioners, MLOs and the Victoria Police MAU, with groups and communities
likely to be affected by the war in Iraq or other related incidents prompted by
domestic or overseas events.
Operating instructions to respond to racial
incidents
Victoria Police issued formal operating instructions
on how to respond effectively to racially/religious motivated incidents. This
included the development of a poster of a flow chart of complaint processes for
racial and religious vilification placed in all police stations all over
Victoria.
Register of racial incidents
Victoria Police, in cooperation with multicultural
communities, initiated a Register that records racially/religious motivated
incidents. The Register aims to record all such incidents reported to police
through internal police data and community information. Groups and communities
identified as more vulnerable to vilification were invited to provide direct
input into the Register. These included Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV),
Australian Arabic Council (AAC), The Victorian Arabic Social Services (VASS) and
the Islamic Women's Welfare Council of Victoria (IWWCV). At the time of writing
this report the initiative is not known to be operational.

Designing

Hijab for police
Victoria Police have worked to design a hijab as part
of police uniform for new Muslim women recruits who wear the hijab.
Victoria Police - Region
3

Multicultural Liaison Officers (MLO)
Portfolio (P/F) Project
The Victoria Police Region 3 Multicultural Liaison
Office has a partnership with the local Migrant Resource Centre, where it
undertakes a range of initiatives, including a leadership program for young
youths seeking to undertake a range of careers, including policing.
Multicultural Liaison Units Flyer
Working with Victoria’s Culturally and
Linguistically Diverse Communities
. Available in English and Arabic

Ashura Celebrations
Victoria Police participated in Ashura Muslim
celebrations.
Police Conduct Unit Ethical Standard Department
Information on the Police Conduct Unit is available in
a range of new and emerging languages. These include Dinka, Somali, Amharic, and
Nuer. This information details the services, roles, and procedures relating to
this area of Victoria Police.
Liberty Vs. Security: A Necessary Trade
Off?
Monash University, in partnership with Victoria
Police, conducted a forum examining the legislative and policy environment
relevant to counter-terrorist policing.
Ramadan activities
Working with Carlton Parkville Youth Services and
Carlton YMCA

Senior Constable Nick Parissis of
Carlton police has been named the Victoria Police Youth Officer of the Year for
coordinating the Carlton Ramadan festivities for Muslim faith.

Police, media and Islamic community
forum
Victoria Police and Monash
University administered a public forum with members of the Islamic
community and media organisations.

The forum was
created to establish dialogue between media representatives and the community,
and to facilitate communication between them.
Muslims community Police Officers
initiatives
Senior Constable Kerry Sipthorpe, a traffic management
policewoman received an award for her work with multicultural communities,
particularly Muslims. The Multicultural Policing Award recognised her efforts to
improve understanding and relationships between police and Muslim youths.

Community Consultation
In a proactive policing initiative between the local
Manningham Council and Doncaster police, Sen Const Sipthorpe reached out to
Doncaster’s many multicultural communities, including Greek, Chinese,
Muslim and Macedonian. Sen Const Sipthorpe hoped the youths would think of
police as being approachable. To help engender relations between the two groups,
police and Muslim youths attended a soccer match between Turkey and
Australia.  In partnership with VASS, VIC Police took 15 local Muslim
youths on a five-day High Challenge camp.  This was a significant activity
particularly for four Muslim girls as it marked their first time away from
home.
Response to racial hatred crimes
The Law Enforcement Assistance Program (LEAP) system
enables Victoria Police members to record instances where a crime has been
motivated wholly or partially by prejudice relating to homophobia, physical /
mental illness, political issues, race/ ethnic issues, or religious
beliefs.
Crime Stopper multilingual
Brochures help to empower non-English speaking
communities to use crime stoppers and provide them with avenues for access.
Information is available in more than 20 different languages and is also
accessible on the internet
Ramadan Dinner Initiative
Victoria Police in partnership with the Victorian
Multicultural Commission and Australian Intercultural Society, organised a
Ramadan dinner in 2005 and 2006. This brought faith leaders and Victoria Police
members from across the organisation together to discuss issues of mutual
interest.
Attending Mosque Services
Victoria Police members regularly visit mosques,
including during the period of Ramadan, to increase their understanding of
Islam. The occasions are also viewed as a time when community members may be
able to learn further about the role of Police and the services that are
available.
Newport community Police Award
Newport Islamic Mosque and Muslim youth presented a
plaque representing the 99 attributes of Allah as a friendship token to Altona
North Police Station.
Mentoring program
The Victoria Police are currently involved in the
planning stages of a Muslim Mentoring Program which is being facilitated via the
offices of Whitelion.
Victoria Police Multifaith Council
The Victoria Police Multifaith Council was launched in
2005. It comprises of senior faith and Victoria Police members who meet
quarterly or a needs basis to discuss issues of mutual interest. The Council has
proved to be a valuable conduit for Islamic groups to express issues of concern
or interest.
Victorian School of Languages Arabic
Course
The course was developed in partnership with the
Victorian School of Languages. It was taught as a Certificate II course and ran
for a six month period, on a part time basis. Approximately 12 members of
Victoria Police graduated at the end of 2006.
Information card
In partnership with the Victorian Multicultural
Commission, Victoria Police are developing an Information Card (in the format of
a fridge magnet) which on one side will contain information about Police
procedures, law and order, and information about complaints making, personal
safety, and emergency contacts written in Arabic. On the other side of this
magnet will be basic information about the local Arabic speaking background
community, written in English and specific to police.
Anti-terrorism laws seminar
The Victoria Police, Victorian Multicultural
Commission, and the Victorian Equal Opportunity Commission have conducted a
series of information sessions designed to increase knowledge and understanding
of relevant anti-terrorist legislation.

New and Emerging Communities
Grants
New and Emerging Communities Grants have been used
over the course of 2005 and 2006 to assist with funding activities that bring
Victoria Police members and local communities together in specific activities.
The Grants are a joint initiative of Victoria Police and the Victorian
Multicultural Commission.



Examples of such
initiatives have included:

  • the Ramadan Community Dinner in Shepparton;
  • youth programs in the Northern suburbs of Melbourne
    during Ramadan;
  • a drug and substance abuse awareness project with the
    Somali Cultural Association;
  • a youth camp with participants from Flemington, the
    local Police, and the Moonee Valley City Council;
  • Turkish community road safety production; and
  • a Ramadan Soccer Program in Carlton.

Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with Equal
Opportunity Commission of Victoria (EOCV) on offences under the Racial and
Religious Tolerance Act (RRTA)
In 2006, an MOU was signed between Dr Helen Szoke
(EOCV) and Chief Commissioner of Police Christine Nixon (VICPOL) that ratified
how matters pertaining to offences against the RRTA would be handled. Briefly
that MOU agreed:

  • Victoria Police would be the investigating body for
    offences and all reports of cases reported to EOCV would be forwarded to VICPOL
    via the Equity & Conflict Resolution Unit.
  • Victoria Police would provide a response to EOCV on the
    result of investigations



Victoria
Police would provide trending analysis on matters that are reported against the
RRTA & provide this analysis to EOCV.

VICTORIA LEGAL AID LAWYERS AND LEGAL
SERVICES
Flyer
Flyers in Arabic provide information about Victorian
Legal Aid, legal consultation, providing legal aid, confidentiality, tribunal
and interpreting services
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
VICTORIA

VICTIMS SUPPORT
AGENCY
Information Sheets
The Department makes information sheets available in a
variety of languages including Arabic. The information sheets currently
available in languages other than English include:

  • Who Is a Victim of Crime?
  • What happens if I Need to Go to Court?
  • Applying for an Intervention Order
  • Financial Assistance for Victims of crime
  • Local Support
  • Reporting Crime
  • Victims of Crime Help line (Information
    Card)
AUSTRALIAN ARABIC COUNCIL (AAC)
Ethnicity Crime in NSW: Politics, Rhetoric and
Ethnic Descriptors
This article outlines the AAC’s growing concern
about the rising level of rhetoric linking Arabic culture with criminal
activity. For more information see: www.aac.org.au/resources.php
The Arabs in World History
Booklet.

A project funded by the AMF,
Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC), Healthy Communities and Victoria
Premier's Drug and Prevention Council
This booklet is one of many ongoing publications and
projects that aims to combat ignorance regarding the Arabic language, culture,
and highlight the rich history and positive contributions of Australians of
Arabic background today. It accompanies other teaching resources on Arab history
and the experiences of Arab and Indigenous youth in Australia. This booklet
includes information about the contributions that Arabs have made in the golden
age, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, architecture, art and music and
philosophy. This is a free booklet and has been distributed widely throughout
Australia. A copy can be obtained from the AAC.
NSW Police Service ‘Ethnic’ Descriptors
consultation
AAC members in NSW participated in a community
consultation on descriptions of persons issued by police to the media. This was
organised by the Ethnic Affairs Unit of the NSW Police Service. The
consultations resulted in a review recommending that seven categories of
ethnicity based descriptors (including Mediterranean/ Middle Eastern appearance)
replace the fourteen previous categories in NSW. The AAC does not endorse the
new categories.

Host Police Award
AAC has been approached by the Ethnic Communities
Police Advisory Committee to host the Ethnic Communities Annual Police Function.
The award was introduced in 1985 to recognise the outstanding contribution by a
member of Victoria Police to the advancement of harmonious relations between
police and ethnic communities. The criteria for the award includes overall
positive contribution towards enhancement of understanding and trust between
police and ethnic communities. For more information see:
www.aac.org.au
AUSTRALIAN LEBANESE WELFARE
INCORPORATED
Passage to Safety Book
In the wake of September 11 and after the 'Tampa
Crisis', in an effort to increase an understanding of what an asylum seeker is
and break down misconceptions about refugees and to help empower the existing
Iraqi women's support group, funding was obtained from the Hume City Council's
Community Grants for a testimonial project where members of the group documented
their stories about their lives in Iraq, their decision to leave Iraq, their
experiences of the journey to Australia as asylum seekers and in refugee camps,
and how they arrived in Australia and their experiences here. The book was
published and distributed widely to organisations and individual community
members.
2001
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION OF
VICTORIA

(EOCV)
Police and Multicultural Advisory Committee
EOCV is an active member of PACMAC which brings police
and multicultural communities together to work collaboratively on multicultural
policing issues.
Victoria Police Swan Hill Cultural Understanding
Forum
Inspector Garry Bennett, Victoria Police Swan Hill,
organised 3 Cultural Understanding Forums in response to a racial attack against
a Muslim woman in Swan Hill. EOCV was one of three speakers that included Derek
Kickett AFL and Sherene Hassan Islamic Council of Victoria
(ICV).

Forums were held at:

  • MacKillop Secondary College - 400 students
  • Swan Hill College - 200 students
  • Public Forum at Swan Hill - 300 people.

The National Party local member was
in attendance as were four local councillors and local indigenous elder Deb
Chaplin.

Victoria Police – Community about the
Education Anti-terrorism Legislation
Three information sessions for CALD communities about
the anti-terrorism legislation organised by the Multicultural Liaison Unit of
Victoria Police and the Victorian Multicultural Commission.

Stand up to Racism
The EOCV collaborated with Diversity Victoria and
VicHealth to develop and deliver a community education campaign urging all
Victorians to 'stand up to racism'. The campaign was designed to discourage the
rise in racial and religious vilification and abuse towards Australians from
Muslim and Arabic communities following the attacks in the United States and
publicity surrounding Australia's refugee policy. Over 1000 campaign kits were
sent to businesses, not for profit organisations and individuals urging them to
stand up to racism by holding events, distributing campaign material (stickers,
posters, fridge magnets). Kits contained fact sheets on cultural diversity and
Muslim communities in Australia, tips on writing media releases and attracting
media attention (as well as media contacts), summaries of key anti-racism
messages and quotes and campaign posters and stickers.
ISLAMIC WOMEN’S WELFARE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA
(IWWCV) AND MELBOURNE CITY COUNCIL
Muslim Women's Safety Project
The City of Melbourne has funded the IWWVC to conduct
research into the safety of Muslim and Arabic women residing in the City of
Melbourne. The research has been commissioned to assess the nature and extent of
attacks against women, to identify the range of responses undertaken by state
and local government, community organisations and the Muslim community and to
identify ways that the Muslim and Arabic communities can be supported in
relation to racial and religious based crimes and vilification.
Media Guide: Islam and Muslims In
Australia
This guide outlines debates and tensions which have
played out in the media in regards to Muslims in Australia. The guide explains
that often mistrust of police is due to negative police interactions in their
country of origin.

OFFICE OF THE PREMIER OF VICTORIA
Racial harmony advertisements
On
December 6, 2001 the Premier announced a television advertisement campaign
promoting racial harmony as part of the education campaign to introduce the
RRTA. The advertisement featured Victorians from a wide range of cultures,
religions and backgrounds, and was screened for six months as a Community
Service Announcement by all television networks in Melbourne and regional
Victoria, including commercial stations Channel 7 and 9 who agreed to broadcast
it more frequently than usual Community Service Announcements. On 18 March 2003
the Premier re-launched the advertisements for another six months.
2001-2003
THE VICTORIAN ARABIC SOCIAL SERVICES
(VASS)

FUNDED BY THE VICTORIA POLICE
MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS UNIT
Crime Prevention and Community Safety Project
Survey
VASS commissioned Metropolis Research Pty Ltd to
design a survey targeted at members of the Arabic-speaking community in
Melbourne and to analyse the survey data collected by VASS. The Survey is part
of 2005 Crime Prevention and Community Safety Project. The aim of the survey was
to determine respondent’s views on safety and crime within the
Arabic-speaking community, how safe they are within and outside their community
and their level of confidence in the police and other authorities. For more
information see: www.vass.org.au
2005-2006
Cross-Cultural Training
In October 2002, VASS ran its first Arabic Culture and
Language Course for the Victorian Police. Since that time VASS has conducted
numerous cross-cultural training courses. These courses have been run for health
professionals, educators, secondary schools and police. The course can be as
short as one hour or run for a whole day. Each session is tailored to the group
who will be receiving it. Generally the session includes presentations on:

  • Cultural diversity in schools, including a cultural
    diversity activity designed to challenge your thinking;
  • Best practice models for working with newly arrived
    migrants in schools;
  • Arabic Youth Presentation;;
  • Arabic demographic profile in Australia- historically
    and presently;
  • Islamic Presentation;
  • Outline of VASS roles; and
  • Arabic culture and language.

Sessions are a chance to destroy
myths about Arabs and for the community to gain a better understanding of the
Arabic Community and issues of particular importance to Arabic Speaking
people.

VICTORIAN MULTICULTURAL COMMISSION
(VMC)
Monitoring group and hotline
Following September 11, the VMC coordinated a working
group of representatives from Arabic and Islamic communities, DET, DIMA,
Victoria Police, the EOCV and the Victorian Office of Multicultural Affairs to
monitor ongoing developments and improve responses. The working group developed
a range of recommendations including:

  • The establishment of an Arabic community helpline;
  • Special consideration be given to students of Islamic
    faith or Arabic-speaking backgrounds for exams/assessment; and
  • The distribution of multicultural education information
    in schools.



In October 2001, an
Arabic community helpline was established, staffed by bilingual counsellors. The
helpline ran for three months, enabling people to report incidents, seek support
and receive referrals to appropriate agencies. Approximately 30 calls were
received, most relating to disputes between neighbours and random abuse.

Consultations
In collaboration with the VIC police, the Commission
held consultations for New and Emerging Communities and the police.
Crime Stoppers Multi-lingual
program
This program was launched with the VIC Police. The
program was designed to create awareness of the role of crime Stoppers and
encourage ethnic communities to be proactive in making their communities safer.
It was produced in 22 languages.
ISLAMIC COUNCIL OF
VICTORIA

(ICV)
Services and Needs Audit of
the

Victorian Muslim
Community
Focus groups from different agencies discussed issues
concerning Muslims and the law and came up with the following
recommendations:

  • Community services, work to minimise feelings of
    inadequacy among inmates;
  • There be a stronger involvement within the wider Muslim
    community to encourage Muslims to take ownership of social issues as well as
    ensure that accurate information is provided;
  • Efforts be made to recruit more Muslim staff within the
    courts and police force;
  • Providers of services for victims of domestic violence
    promote their services more widely to create a greater awareness within the
    community;
  • Chaplain numbers be increased, in particular a Muslim
    female chaplain is required;
  • Brochures for Muslims to link them to existing Muslim
    services should be made available in courts and police centres;
  • A Muslim support officer be appointed at the major
    courts; and
  • Prisoners to be informed of the reasons for information
    collected about them before the information is requested, as per the Privacy
    Act.
Neighbourhood Harmony Project
This project was undertaken as part of the
Government’s Living in Harmony Projects. The project aims to promote
harmony, build community relations and address racism in Australia. One
suggestion from this project was to conduct conflict resolution workshops run by
the VIC Police.
Submissions
The ICV has been active in making submissions to theParliamentary Joint Committee
(PJC) on ASIO and the Australian Securities &
Investments Commission (ASIC) in reviewing CH III of
the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act in regards to
detention and holding powers. It has also made submissions on the definition of
terrorism, secrecy provisions, the right to silence, length of questioning, lack
of public information about the act and the lack of a right to legal
representation.
CENTRE FOR MULTICULTURAL YOUTH ISSUES (CMYI)
Youth Referral and Independent Person Program
(YRIPP)
This project was funded by Crime Prevention Victoria
(Department of Justice) in partnership with many agencies to enhance the
state-wide quality of an Independent Person Program. YRIPP has consolidated and
streamlined the recruitment, training and deployment of Independent Persons for
police interviews with young people suspected of an offence.
Gang early intervention
CMYI has lobbied government about the need to develop
sustainable, early intervention strategies into gang formation

Strategies to improve police
relations
Cross cultural support to Victoria Police including
the development of strategies for improving relationships with CALD young
people.

Forum
Exploring and Responding to Youth Gang
Formation
forum: www.cmyi.net.au
QUEENSLAND POLICE
SERVICE

(QPS)
Opening Doors
project

(with funding from Department of
Housing , Community Renewal Program)
This project consisted of 33 information and follow up
workshops between police and community groups in the Logan District south of
Brisbane. At these workshops, community members described their experiences with
police in their country of origin, were informed of the role, function and
operation of the QPS and identified issues of concern. Workshops have included
Muslim groups, Ahmadiyya Muslims, Sudanese, Romanian, young migrants and
refugees and people from the former Yugoslavia. The Opening Doors project
sought to reduce mistrust and perceived fear of police as well as raising police
awareness of the experiences values and beliefs of Logan City Residents - 22% of
whom were born overseas, 12% from non-English speaking background.
Workshops with Queensland
Sudanese

Community
&
You,
the Law and Society
As part of a program to develop a closer working
relationship with members of the Sudanese Community, the first workshop,
attended by 20 members of the Sudanese Community, was held at Queensland Police
HQ on Monday, 20th January, 2003. This workshop was the result of informal
meetings commenced in 2002 between Inspector Terry Tyler and Emmanuel Anthony
from the Cultural Advisory Unit (CAU), Office of the Commissioner, and the
President and senior members of the Sudanese Community. The major topics
discussed were in relation to the law and domestic violence as well as some of
the topics outlined in You, the Law and Society; first published in
Arabic by the Queensland Police Service in October 1998 as a service
contribution to Refugee Week. The workshop was organised by Senior Sergeant John
Ross from the CAU and facilitated by Acting Senior Sergeant Lesley Hamilton, the
QPS Domestic Violence Coordinator.
Racial/ religious vilification
indicator
QLD Police introduced a racial / religious
vilification indicator in 2003 – Arab and Muslim community invited to add
directly to the register - Crime Recording Information System for Police
(CRISP).
Police Ethnic Advisory Group (PEAG)
The PEAG is currently chaired by the President of the
Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland and its membership consists of a
cross-section of police, government and community organisations. These include
Multicultural Affairs Queensland (MAQ), DIMA, the Anti-Discrimination Commission
of Qld (ADCQ) and the Islamic Council of Queensland.
Islamic Task Force
The force established to help protect the Muslim
communities after 2001.
Forging stronger cultural ties
On October 5, Senior Constables Rose O’Brien and
Jason Moore of Crime Stoppers attended a fete for the Brisbane Muslim School of
Buranda, where Senior Constable Moore is the Adopt-a-Cop. It was a fundraising
day for the new campus grounds being built in Durack. This enabled officers to
forge stronger ties with the Muslim Community.
Induction parade invitees
Queensland Police Commissioner Atkinson’s
on-going initiative involves inviting representatives from diverse cultural
backgrounds to attend induction parades. The program plays an important part in
helping to make the Queensland Police Service more accessible by insuring its
services are inclusive of the wider community. Commissioner Atkinson’s
special guests over the past year have included representatives from the
Buddhist, Sudanese and Sri Lankan communities, as well as the Islamic
Women’s Association, Islamic Association of Qld, Multicultural Pastoral
Care, Multicultural communities of the Gold Coast, Ethnic Communities Council of
Qld and Spanish Seniors Association.
Queensland Police Partnership
Project
Working in partnership with Logan City Multicultural
Neighbourhood Centre, Logan Police have raised community awareness of police
operations and law in an Australian context. Six major groups including
Cambodian, people from former Yugoslavia, Samoan, Filipino, Muslim and people
from South American countries worked together with members of the Queensland
Police Service, local service providers and other community groups in
Logan.



A reference group with representatives
from the target groups, police and the Logan City Multicultural Neighbourhood
Centre was formed and six half-day workshops for each of the groups agreed upon.
These workshops were primarily to break down the perceived and real barriers
between police and ethnic communities that prevent some cultures from accepting
policing services. Some of these barriers included corruption and violence
within police services from the country of origin. Interpreters were provided at
the workshops and the one-day forum, through the assistance of the Bilingual
Community Assistants network. An independent consultant was engaged to ensure
that the workshops were conducted in a culturally appropriate
manner.
Police Liaison Officers

(PLOs)
There are currently 140 PLOs stationed throughout QLD.
Their primary role is to assist police officers to forge links with communities
by building trust, helping to reduce and prevent crime and diverting people from
the criminal justice system. Their training is based on a nationally recognised
certificate level course and is supplemented with localised training. One of the
female PLOs from Arabic/Muslim background successfully applied to become a
Police Recruit and will be sworn in as a Police Officer on 25 October
2006.
Strategic Directions for Policing With Ethnic
Communities
This report provides strategies and key actions
developed to serve as best practice principles in guiding equitable policing to
all Queenslanders. The key strategies identified in the report
were:

  • Ensure that QLD police service policy and program
    development is responsive to the needs of the ethnic community.
  • Provide appropriate education for police to increase
    their knowledge and interpersonal skills in policing a multicultural
    society.
  • Provide ongoing specialist support for the provision of
    equitable service delivery to ethnic communities throughout QLD.
  • Provide open, effective and visible communication with
    all ethnic communities and
    organisations.

The report also
provides key actions to support the implementation of these
strategies.

Networking with the Muslim Community to develop an
education package
Throughout 2006 representatives of the QPS (The Senior
Cultural Adviser from the Office of the Commissioner, members of the QPS Senior
Women’s Forum, and the QPS Equity and Diversity Unit) have worked closely
with Dr Mohamad Abdalla, the Director of the Centre for Islamic Studies at
Griffith University, the President of the Executive Council of the Al-Nisa
Muslim Youth Group and the Islamic Council of Queensland. The purpose of this
engagement has been to develop an educational package outlining the essential
teachings of Islam and the implications for serving officers and members of QPS.
This package will address the concerns outlined at the October 2005 Conference
of the QPS Senior Women’s Forum and will be delivered on October 2006 as
part of a dialogue and forum session. It is anticipated that the package will be
distributed to all Police Regions throughout Queensland in
2007.



Issues that are being addressed
include:

  • Common misconceptions about Islam and
    Muslims;
  • Barriers to communication;
  • Attitudes to authority;
  • Commonalities with other religions;
  • The status of women in Islam;
  • Dynamics within Islamic/Muslim communities;
    and
  • Cultural Practices.
Reassurance and support
Within hours of the London bombings (7/7/05), and to
allay concerns of a backlash against Muslim people in Queensland, the
Commissioner’s reassurances were conveyed to the President of the Islamic
Council of Queensland and to Imams in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast. These
reassurances were conveyed by the Commissioner’s Senior Cultural Adviser
in time to be read by local Imams at midday prayers in mosques on Friday
8th July 2005. A close working relationship has subsequently been
maintained with Imams, Islamic school Principals and Community leaders.
Muslim Participation in QPS Cross Cultural Liaison
Officers’ (CCLOs) Conference
The QPS has 30 (full and part time) CCLO positions
across the state to enhance engagement with multicultural
communities.



The role of the police officers
includes:

  • Identifying potential problems and difficulties before
    they escalate.
  • Co-ordinating and supporting Police Liaison Officers
    (PLOs) within their District or Region.
  • Providing guidance and assurance to operational
    officers regarding multicultural issues.
  • Identifying and developing special projects relevant
    to, and focusing on, local community
    needs.



A segment of the biennial
CLLO conference (Sept 2006) dealt with issues/concerns relevant to the effective
policing of Muslim communities. Imams, Islamic Society of Qld representatives,
and Muslim women and youth participated in the dialogue and forum
session.





CLLOs attending the Conference
also visited the Darra Mosque and enjoyed an evening meal hosted by the Muslim
Community.

Muslim participation in Annual Police Remembrance
Day and Candle Light Vigil
Commissioner Atkinson invited Imams and Muslim leaders
to morning tea at Police Head Quarters to meet with other Senior Police
Chaplains and to invite Muslim participation in the above mentioned events.
Police attendance at Mosques and other Muslim
Celebrations
At the invitation of the Muslim Community the
Commissioner and other Police Officers regularly meet with Imams and Islamic
Community leaders. The QPS considers such interaction as an essential
pre-requisite for developing community trust and enhancing effective dialogue.
The Commissioner and Police Officers also attend Muslim celebrations such as
Eidfest. These occasions provide important insights into Islam and demonstrate
the commitment of Muslim people in sharing their beliefs and values with fellow
Australians.
Assisting Muslims with Work Experience
Programs
In late 2005, a young Muslim with two science degrees
undertook 13 weeks in a work experience placement within the Scientific Section
at Police Headquarters. He met with the Commissioner and was also given the
opportunity to address the PEAG.
Inter-agency participation with the Muslim
Community
At the invitation of the Premier and the State
Minister for Multiculturalism, Commissioner Atkinson, his Senior Cultural
Adviser and the Inspector in Charge of the Cultural Advisory Client, Office of
the Commissioner met with 50 Imams and Islamic Community leaders and the
Anti-Discrimination Commissioner at Parliament House on 28 July 2005. As a
result of this meeting there has been ongoing dialogue and discussion on a
number of police related matters.
Multicultural Affairs Queensland –
Inter-Departmental Committee (IDC) on
Multi-

culturalism
The Queensland Police Commissioner is represented on
the IDC by the Senior Cultural Advisor and the Inspector in Charge of the
Cultural Advisory Unit, Office of the Commissioner. Through IDC, the QPS has
contributed to the development of the Queensland Government Strategy for the
heterogeneous African communities which have a diversity of religions, cultures
and social norms.
Community Consultative Committee
QPS has established a number of committees to address
the needs of new and emerging communities in particular. Many participants are
from Muslim backgrounds.
Ethnic Community Council of Queensland (ECCQ) /QPS
Football Tournament
In 2005 and again in 2006, the QPS in partnership with
the ECCQ was instrumental in organising and participating in, multicultural
football tournaments - referred to as the ECCQ Cup. The teams brought together
young people from 16 different cultural, religious and linguistic backgrounds
and there is every indication that the initiative will be expanded in 2007. An
interesting and exciting feature of the 2006 tournament was a demonstration
match from the Muslim Women’s Youth Team. An ECCQ Certificate of
Appreciation was also presented to Cross Cultural Liaison Officer, Sergeant Jim
Bellos, in recognition for his valuable support and commitment in organising the
tournament.
Bridging Cultural Gaps with VIP’s
The QPS VIP program was expanded in 2006 and now
includes VIP’s from new and emerging communities. Most of
volunteer’s work is done after hours and on weekends and the role not only
assists new arrivals from all parts of Africa but also has a reciprocal function
in educating Australians about Africa and its diversity.
Course of Clergy New to Australia
The QPS Senior Cultural Advisor participated in the
two-day workshop organised by Monarch University in partnership with community
leaders from a variety of faith traditions. The interactive course enabled
participants to ask and answer questions and to collaborate in group activity
from a variety of faith communities, thus gaining a deeper appreciation and
knowledge of multi-faith Australia. Several new contacts with Imams have
resulted.
Funding for Multicultural / Police
Initiatives
Since 2003 the QPS has received funding from grants
provided by APMAB to assist with localised project aimed at enhancing community
engagement and reducing crime.



Successful QPS
projects that have attracted Mosaic Funding have included:

  • Making a meal of it – an anti-discrimination
    initiative.
  • The Peter Morris Park Project.
  • Live and Learn Multiculturalism.
  • Police and Community Working together.
  • The Open Doors
    Project.

Amounts of up to $3000 were
distributed to each of the above initiatives.

Prayer Rooms
QPS provides suitable prayer rooms within Police
Headquarters which may be used by Muslim Police Officers and Staff Members as
required.
QLD PREMIER’S DEPARTMENT WITH MULTICULTURAL
AFFAIRS QLD
Multicultural Assistance Program
Grants are available for projects that help to promote
an understanding of multiculturalism, reduce racism and prejudice and build
community relations in QLD.
QLD PREMIER’S DEPARTMENT
Muslim Community Engagement Grants
The Queensland Government has established a Muslim
Community Engagement Strategy to promote interaction and understanding between
Queenslanders' from Muslim background and the broader community.  Grants
are available to not-for-profit incorporated community organisations (or
organisations sponsored by not-for-profit incorporated community organisations)
for projects that contribute to the strategy.  Both Muslim and non-Muslim
organisations are invited to apply.
DAR AL SHIFAH (ISLAMIC) INC.
Forum
Forum at Perth Mosque, was sponsored by Dar Al Shifah
House of Healing, Office of Multicultural Interests, City of Bayswater, Perth
Mosque Inc and Ismail Ahmad Family for West Australian Muslims to identify and
define their community, develop practical strategies and address the issues
facing them, encourage active citizenship, raise awareness of resources
available to them within Muslim and broader communities. The conference included
presentations from representatives of a number of government departments
including Office of Multicultural
Interests (OMI), Department of Community
Development, Department of Justice, Department of Education, Department of
Health and WA Police. Representatives gave presentations on their structure and
functions to give the Muslim community insight into their operational processes
with the hope that the community would access resources and networks helping to
empower the community. The conference also included workshops in which Muslim
community members had opportunities to discuss issues and find
solutions.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA POLICE
Engaging Muslim communities Multicultural Port
Headland Association
Sergeant O’Meara completed a course in the
Indonesian language enabling him to communicate with Malay and Indonesian
people. Sergeant O’Meara has strived to increase community awareness and
involvement, and assist with integration for the Muslim community within the
town.

Attending services at Mosques
Senior Constable Kym Fisher, (Domestic Violence
Officer) was enlisted to assist by addressing the Muslim Women’s Auxiliary
on various topics impacting on their welfare and the local
community.

Multilingual names badges
WA Police who are able to speak another language now
wear name badges that identify this.
AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE (ACT
POLICING)
Liaison with Muslim community
Following September 11, ACT policing met several times
with members of the ACT Muslim community. The aim of these meetings was to
assure the community that ACT Policing would continue to respond to its needs.
In addition, senior offices participated in a community meeting held at a local
mosque to field questions from the community about policing in the ACT.
Women In Islamic Civilisation
course
Two female members of ACT police participated in a
six-week Women In Islamic Civilisation at the Australian National
University. The course provided participants with insight into the Muslim
culture with a particular emphasis on the role and place of women in the
development of Islamic civilisation.
Community events
ACT police attend events such as the Islamic Community
Open Day and the Canberra Islamic Centre Ramadan Community
barbecue.
Multicultural Liaison
Officer

(MLO)
The Multicultural Liaison Officer has responsibilities
and duties such as:

  • improving communication between police and
    multicultural and Indigenous communities;
  • providing advice to police for better service delivery
    regarding multicultural and Indigenous communities;
  • assisting multicultural and Indigenous communities in
    understanding their rights and responsibilities as citizens and how to access
    police services;
  • providing victim support; and
  • increasing community awareness about criminal activity
    and how to access policing
    services.

The MLO and other Crime
Prevention members have been involved in several multicultural events that
include members of the Islamic Committee such as the Multicultural Festival,
Multicultural Youth Camp and the Nexus Event in which different religious groups
shared poetry and music.

Multi-lingual Publications
ACT police publishes forms and publications in up to 6
languages including Arabic. The How To Prepare A Victim Impact Statement is
published in Arabic.
Community Consultations
ACT Policing undertake an active role within the
Canberra Region in engaging the local Islamic Community and meeting with
established communities such as the Muslim Community of the ACT on a quarterly
basis, together with establishing relationships the independent Canberra
Islamic Centre and the newly formed North Canberra Muslim
Community.
TASMANIA
TASMANIA POLICE
APMAB training package
The APMAB anti-racism training package is used by
training staff at the Police Academy to train police officers.
MLOs
Tasmania Police employ 4 Multicultural Community
Liaison Officers.
Cross Cultural Awareness Training
The Cross Cultural Awareness Training for all recruits
involves a presentation from the Imam of the Hobart Mosque regarding Islam and
associated issues.
THE TASMANIAN ADVISORY COUNCIL ON MULTICULTURAL
AFFAIRS

(TACMA)
Police involvement in the
Council






TACMA was established in 1992 in order to advise the
State Government on the development of policies that are responsive to the needs
and aspirations of the Tasmanian multicultural community.
The functions of the Council are to:

  • Provide advice to Government on the extent to which
    services and programs are available to and meet the needs of migrant settlers
    and multicultural community groups;
  • Identify multicultural issues and provide advice
    thereon;
  • Assist and promote cooperation between multicultural
    groups and organisations on matters of common interest; and
  • Advise the Government on particular multicultural
    issues as referred to by the
    Council.

The Council which is made up
of elected members from various migrant communities across the State meets every
2 months. Inspector Craig Waterhouse by virtue of his appointment as the
Tasmania Police Multicultural Liaison Officer is a permanent member of the
Council.

NORTHERN TERRITORY
NT POLICE
Cross-Cultural Training
Cross-cultural awareness training is provided to
police recruits. The training is based on National Training Competencies and is
delivered by the Office of Multicultural & Indigenous Affairs. Members from
the Police Ethnic Advisory Group (PEAG) are also involved in the
training.
Police Ethnic Advisory Group
(PEAG)
The PEAG is an advisory body to the Commissioner of
Police on issues relating to multicultural communities and policing. This is the
NT Police commitment to form and maintain partnerships with multicultural
communities throughout the Northern Territory.