New plan to stop violence
The Anti-Violence Campaign and NSW Police will collaborate next year on a campaign to encourage GLBT victims of crime to come forward.
The move follows an ongoing reluctance by some members of the community to report homophobic violence.
The Anti-Violence Project’s Nancy de Castro said the police had been enthusiastic partners in the campaign.
“A lot of people in the police force have been pushing this and are committed to making sure we get crime on the record — not just homophobic crime but any crime that happens within our community,” de Castro said.
“NSW Police have come on board with some funding, and the campaign will feature a police officer in ads and posters.
“When crime is made visible we can do something about it. The AVP wants to hear about any kind of homophobic harassment, violent or not.”
Surry Hills LAC Commander Supt Dona Adney said reporting a crime was vital.
“Where victims of crime do not want to make a statement or attend court the incidents still need to be reported so we are aware of where such incidents are occurring and when,” she said.
“There are many deployment tactics police can use, including proactive high visibility patrolling of trouble spots to deter crime occurring.
“I also encourage victims of domestic violence to report that violence to police. In the lead-up to Christmas there can be an increase of domestic violence and a proven way to break the cycle of violence that victims find themselves in is to report to police.”
The campaign follows two incidents of homophobic violence in as many weeks.
On Saturday, a couple were verbally abused in a Glebe pub and later assaulted, with the men having to lock themselves in a toilet cubicle until police arrived to arrest their attacker.
The weekend prior the victim of a recent gay bashing came forward to thank the police for their speedy intervention in stopping the assault.
Steve was walking up Oxford St to cross the road outside Darlinghurst Courthouse when he was allegedly set upon by two men. It is alleged one man tripped him while the other hit him in the head with a bottle.
“I was covered in blood and yelled for someone to call the police,” Steve told Sydney Star Observer.
He turned to see three police officers running across the road. Two northern beaches men have since been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and reckless wounding.
“If they hadn’t been there I don’t know what would have happened,” Steve said.
Surry Hills LAC Commander Supt. Dona Adney said she was pleased with the outcome.
“This is an excellent example of the good police work by Surry Hills police officers who were in the vicinity,” she said.
In related news, five more Kings Cross Police Officers, including an inspector, have completed training as Gay and Lesbian Liaison Officers, bringing the number in that LAC up from four to nine.
I’d personally rather police and dogs outside our venues (NOT inside, thats not where the problems occur) than be bashed in their absence.
“When crime is made visible we can do something about it.”
And the offenders who attacked Craig Gee and his partner are….. where?
You can have all the posters in the world you like, but when people have actually have negative experiences with police officers it completely negates everything a poster is saying.
Eg. like not going after the perpertrators when they have only just left the scene of the crime and the victim of crime is saying “He’s just down there, he is wearing a yellow jumper, he ran that way” as quoted in the Holding Hands documentary.
Police may be surprised to hear this, but we do actually talk to each other, we do actually know what the REAL experience with police involves for victims of homophobic crime. Perhaps they should be concentrating on actually delivering professional services AT ALL TIMES, instead of just printing meaninglyless posters.
What an incentive to come forward and report violence: the promise of more ‘proactive high visibility policing of trouble spots’. I wonder if they’ll bring their little doggies? If you ask me, it is exactly this style of policing that puts people on edge and generates violence. The recent Operation Unite, where police declared war on citizens, is a good example. It has to end.