Wednesday, 21 February 2024

Ministers statements: community safety

Anthony CARBINES (Ivanhoe – Minister for Police, Minister for Crime Prevention, Minister for Racing) (14:25): I rise to update the house on the role Victoria Police play to keep our diverse communities safe. Community safety is of course the Allan Labor government’s number one priority. We condemn hate and prejudice in all its forms, and we know that for many in both the Jewish and Islamic communities the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has heightened concerns about community safety in our neighbourhoods. The priority and safer communities division of Victoria Police works hand in hand with many community leaders, and the Chief Commissioner of Police has established Operation Park to coordinate this work. Police are providing ongoing reassurance patrols and have increased their presence at schools, places of worship and important cultural institutions. In fact, Victoria Police have coordinated some 4400 patrols as part of Operation Park.

Right across the state, Victoria Police are engaging diverse communities every day. Next week they will be in Broadmeadows at the Multicultural Youth Centre with the member for Broadmeadows as part of the $2.5 million initiative providing programs and support for the Muslim community, building social cohesion and connection and linking people with the services that they need. In the south-east, local area commanders at Casey, Dandenong and Cardinia are working closely with African community leaders on priority supports that they need to support their communities to get on and make the contribution that they are seeking to make locally in our communities across the south-east.

Our $5 million commitment to early intervention programs is supporting Victoria Police, with our highly effective Aboriginal youth cautioning program to help reduce the over-representation of First Nations people in the justice system and linking them to the supports they need to turn their lives around. We know that, from the trials of that program in Ballarat and Bendigo, our youth cautioning program is now operating in 20 sites across the state.

We are the multicultural state – diverse, tolerant and understanding. There has never been a better time for diverse communities to consider a career in Victoria Police. Our Made For More recruitment campaign is reaching a wider audience across our state than ever before. Our police service is always better when it reflects the community that it serves.