Thursday August 23 2007,Media Release

ADDRESS BY NSWALC CHAIRPERSON BEV MANTON TO NSW POLICE COLLEGE, WESTMEAD

Acknowledgement of Country.

Good morning, I would like to acknowledge Commissioner Ken Moroney, deputy Commissioner Andrew Scipione and assistant Commissioner Peter Parsons.

Welcome also to the Director General of the NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs, Jody Broun, and greetings on behalf of NSW Aboriginal Land Council deputy Chairperson, Tom Briggs, who was unable to attend.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a great pleasure today to participate in the launch of the Aboriginal Strategic Direction (ASD) 2007 –2011.

Attendance by the NSW Police Force’s most senior leaders is testament to your strong commitment to working with Aboriginal people.

As NSW Aboriginal Land Council Chairperson, I welcome the fact this blueprint for change includes a stronger focus on Aboriginal family violence, child sex abuse and substance abuse issues.

Development of Local Area Command (LAC) Aboriginal Action Plans, which give our people a say in the policing of their own communities, is also an important initiative.

NSWALC also welcomes enhanced cultural awareness training and youth diversionary programmes.

This policy also rightly identifies the reduction of offending and over-representation of Aboriginal people, in the criminal justice system as a key objective.

The ASD offers a coordinated and comprehensive response to Aboriginal issues and holds police officers accountable at all levels.

The setting out of timeframes and performance targets and indicators on all seven key objectives, also offers hope of real progress being made.

With Commissioner Moroney here, only days from completion of his distinguished career, it is appropriate to acknowledge his role as a driving force for positive action.

Councillor Briggs recalls Commissioner Moroney meeting with northern Local Aboriginal Land Councils and youth on the day before taking up his position as head of NSW Police.

The Commissioner listened to the concerns of our people there, and gave a personal commitment to put Aboriginal issues at the forefront of his concerns in his new role.

While wheels have moved slowly, and there is still much to be done, there can be no doubt that he has provided the impetus for real change.

On behalf of the Aboriginal people of NSW:  Ken, thank you for listening and working for the benefit of our people.

And Andrew, as incoming Commissioner, we look forward to working with you on this strategy and further improving relationships between Aboriginal people and the justice system.

I am encouraged that improvement of communication and understanding between police and Aboriginal people is the very first objective of the ASD.

This is in stark contrast to the ill considered, punitive and top down Northern Territory approach endorsed by the Australian parliament last week -- which I and many others consider to be ill-conceived.

NSWALC understands the state government decision to provide 10 local police officers to assist.

However, the “Breaking the Silence” report on child sexual abuse in our communities demonstrates the need for more resources here.

The wisdom of sending police rather than medical and other expert workers, in my view, reinforces the perception the NT intervention is a punitive expedition after decades of neglect.

While we believe the NSW Police Force is taking the correct approach, we cannot ignore the fact that the rate of imprisonment for Aboriginal people, has continued to rise in recent years.

An Aboriginal adult is 11 times more likely to be jailed than any other Australian adult, while disturbingly the youth rate is 20 times more likely to be imprisoned than any other Australian youth.

It is also disturbing that the imprisonment rate of Aboriginal women has increased 25 per cent between 2000 and 2004.

Many reports have directly linked these rates to overall Aboriginal disadvantage; such as poor education, bad housing, unemployment, financial stress, welfare dependency, substance abuse and removal from families.

As the federal Attorney-General’s Office Secretary, Robert Cornell said last year, these are all the normal socio-economic factors leading to crime – and imprisonment fixes none of them.

The ASD repeats the many calls on government and non-government agencies to do more to help.

While commitments to meaningful consultation are welcome, it has to be recognised that our communities need capacity building to engage with police and other agencies on their own terms.

We also need to increase restorative justice and alternative sentencing programmes.

We need more diversionary programmes such as the Police and Community Youth Club at Walgett – an initiative for which I say well done.

Mr Cornell said the estimated annual cost of jailing Aboriginal people was $400 million – and obviously any reduction would be in everyone’s interests.  

To conclude on a positive note, I believe the power of individuals to make positive changes should not be underestimated.

Your assistant Commissioner, Catherine Burn -- who was Redfern’s Local Area Commander in the wake of the February 2004 riot – is a good example.

Assistant Commissioner Burn, named NSW Woman of the Year five months ago, took a hands-on approach to her job.

She walked the Redfern community daily, developed family violence programmes and promoted improved relations between Aborigines and police.

A NSWALC senior staffer, Sol Bellear credits her with a key role in bringing Redfern’s stakeholders, including Aboriginal organisations, together.

He believes her efforts paved the way for Redfern’s transformation from urban battlefield to a revitalised and vibrant community.

More than $300 million is now being pumped into the area in infrastructure programmes.

Allied employment programmes have led to the opening of four Aboriginal owned and run enterprises, and enabled four Aboriginal tradesmen to start their own businesses. 

I’m also reminded of a conversation with the police chief in my hometown, Raymond Terrace, during NAIDOC Week.

He told me Aboriginal patrons at a local pub had supported visiting police when non-Aboriginal drinkers gave them a hostile reception.

He told me local police had a better relationship with the black fellas than white fellas.

I told him it showed how important it was for minorities to stick together and help each other out.

We need more of this across the state and working together we will make a difference.

Thank you.

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