MPSP Implementation Report 2013-2016 - Final · Title: MPSP Implementation Report 2013-2016 - Final Author: n2006301 Created Date: 2/6/2017 9:52:19 AM Keywords ()

For Official Use Only

NSW Police Force MPSP Implementation Report 2013-16 Page 1 of 42





Content Content......................................................................................................................................2

Foreword....................................................................................................................................3

Overview....................................................................................................................................4

Results achieved........................................................................................................................5

Priority

1 Targeted programs to reduce and prevent crime......................................................5

2 Working with victims, witnesses, offenders and communities from diverse,

cultural linguistic and religious backgrounds............................................................11

3 Community consultation and participation..............................................................16

4 Staff capacity building and support..........................................................................18

5 Operational planning and capacity...........................................................................22

6 Leadership and accountability..................................................................................24

Lessons Learnt 2013-2016.......................................................................................................26

Glossary...................................................................................................................................29

About this document

Title: Multicultural Policies & Services Program (MPSP) Implementation Report 2013-16

Command responsible: Program Development Team, Operational Programs

Authorisation: A/Deputy Commissioner Frank Mennilli APM, Corporate Sponsor for Cultural Diversity

Document no: D\2016\726578

Publication date: 3 February 2017

Available to: FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

© State of New South Wales (NSW Police Force) 2015. Creative Commons Attribution

4.0 licence




Foreword I am pleased to present the NSW Police Force Multicultural Policies and Services Program Implementation Report 2013 – 2016.

In consultation with Multicultural NSW, the NSW Police Force continued to operate under the NSW Police Force Priorities for Working in a Culturally Linguistically and Religiously Diverse Society and Multicultural Policies and Services Forward Plan 2011 – 2014 until 2016.

Over this reporting period, we have continued to engage with our culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse (CALD) communities, and on many occasions we have worked hand in hand with them to reduce crime and the fear of crime.

Needless to say there are many people and organisations that have inspired, challenged and supported us along the way, enabling us to embed the principles of multiculturalism in the following priority areas:

1. Targeted programs to reduce and prevent crime 2. Working with victims, witnesses, offenders and communities from diverse cultural,

linguistic and religious backgrounds 3. Community consultation and participation 4. Staff capacity building and support 5. Operational planning and capacity 6. Leadership and accountability

I am proud of the progress we have made in these areas so far.

During this time we have developed and implemented the guidelines and resources to complement the NSW Charter of Victims Rights by addressing the needs of victims and families from CALD backgrounds.

We have also seen the success of the Corporate Sponsor for International Students, including the introduction of the International Students Beach Soccer and the Commissioner’s XI vs International Students Cricket match, strong social media engagement and the strengthening of partnerships with universities and Consulates.

Another highlight has been the partnership between the NSW Police Force and the Australian Human Rights Commission that delivered the first National Forum on Diversity Training in Policing. This Forum brought together police from jurisdictions across Australia along with various universities and other organisations for the purpose of setting benchmarks for effective diversity training for police.

Our greatest strength is our own diverse workforce. We are committed to improving the recruitment, retention and development of both sworn and unsworn employees from CALD backgrounds and this is reflected in the implementation of the Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Workforce Strategic Plan 2016 – 2018.

I commend the efforts of those involved in the implementation of the MPSP and to all staff for their positive contributions when working with their communities.

Frank Mennilli APM A/Deputy Commissioner

Corporate Sponsor for Cultural Diversity




Overview The NSW Police Force works tirelessly to preserve harmony within the community and to provide equitable and respectful policing services.

Migration continues to shape population growth and change in NSW, and it is vital that the NSW Police Force is aware of, and understands, the nature and extent of migration trends as well as prevailing issues and attitudes elsewhere in the world.

There are a number of areas that have and continue to emerge that impact on the perceptions and experiences of CALD communities and their interactions with police. With the rise in global tensions, coupled with complex vulnerabilities, police are continuing to work towards ensuring the safety and security of the community, particularly our youth, elderly and victims of crime. Challenges posed by threats of radicalisation, extremist ideologies, and issues of identity and belonging, sit alongside broader challenges including cultural adjustment, social isolation, unemployment and personal safety.

The NSW Police Force is a Designated Multicultural Policies and Services Program agency and is required to report on its progress against the NSW Police Force Priorities for Working in a Culturally Linguistically and Religiously Diverse Society and Multicultural Policies and Services Forward Plan 2011 – 2014.

This Plan outlined our commitment to strengthening our relationships with our diverse communities while embedding diversity in our planning processes and further empowering police to engage positively with the community.

The NSW Police Force Multicultural Policies and Services Program (MPSP) Implementation Report 2013-16 provides us with an opportunity to report on our achievements against six identified priority areas in this Plan.




Results achieved (2013-2016)

Priority 1 Targeted Programs to reduce and prevent crime

Increase the capacity and confidence of communities from diverse linguistic, cultural

and religious backgrounds to work with police to report crime and contribute to

reducing the rates of crime and violence in the broader community

1.1 The NSW Police Force will actively partner wit h communities and other agencies to strengthen the community’s capacity to help police to reduce crime and prevent re-offending, especially with respect to communities i dentified as being ‘at risk’

Over the reporting period, the NSW Police Force has focused on implementing specific community and policing capacity building strategies to address the needs of police, refugees and humanitarian entrants with respect to settlement issues, crime and safety.

Refugees and humanitarian entrants

Since 2013, the NSW Police Force has continued strong collaboration with Settlement Services International concerning refugee settlement. A number of round table discussions have been held to explore community policing issues related to refugees and asylum seekers. Designed to help Local Area Commands (LACs) develop strategies to deliver consistent information to newly arrived refugees and humanitarian residents, these discussions have:

• enhanced the relationship between police and workers who support refugees and asylum seekers,

• improved the joint capability of sector workers and police to better respond to incidents involving refugees and asylum seekers, and

• increased police awareness of community issues faced by refugees and asylum seekers who are victims, offenders or witnesses.

LACs with significant numbers of humanitarian entrants have developed practical working relationships with local support services. These include Settlement Services International, English educator Navitas, local multicultural resource centres, Service for the Treatment & Rehabilitation of Torture & Trauma Survivors (STARTTS), Adult Migrant English Program and religious welfare organisations such as Anglicare.

Strong working partnerships have also been established with members of the Police Multicultural Advisory Council (PMAC) and the NSW Government Immigration & Settlement Planning Committee (GISPC).

Communities at risk of victimisation

LACs partner with a range of external agencies to engage communities at risk of victimisation or offending with the aim of crime reduction and prevention. Some examples include information sessions and presentations with community partners, and victim support and referral services.

Local police also engage with councils, local government agencies, community service groups, schools and local businesses to deliver crime prevention information to people moving into the area, students from overseas renting local properties and representatives of multicultural communities.

An example of the level of specific engagement with external agencies undertaken by a LAC is as follows:

1. Rosehill LAC - Police have engaged with the recently formed Western Sydney Lebanese Organisation, Lebanese Community Council NSW, Granville Anglican Church, Multicultural




Disability Advocacy Association of NSW, Parramatta Community Drug Action Team, Parramatta Holroyd Family and Domestic Violence Prevention Committee, Arabic Workers Network, Australian Iranian Community Organisation, Nabi Akram Islamic Centre, Granville Youth Centre, Granville Residents' Action Network, Parramatta Region Homelessness Interagency, The Hills Holroyd Parramatta Migrant Resource Centre, United Indian Association, Mohammadi Welfare Association of Australia, Southern Hope Community Organisation, Harris Park Community Centre, Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network, Granville Multicultural Community Centre, the India Sanmarga Ikya Sangam of NSW, the Charitable Islamic Association of Beirut City, Our Lady of Lebanon Youth Service, Bangladeshi Community Association NSW and the Nepalese Australian Association.

Police also engage with CALD communities every day through local, regional and statewide programs, which have helped local police build productive relations with all communities. Since 2013, such programs have included:

• partnerships with settlement service providers in preparation for the intake of Syrian refugees as an additional refugee annual intake

• hosting Coffee With a Cop in Fairfield and ten other LACs • a partnership with the NSW Council of Pacific Communities to conduct the #FistsDown

campaign, a youth crime prevention initiative.

Corporate Sponsor for International Students

The NSW Police Force has a strong focus on the safety and wellbeing of international students, which links directly to the State priorities of improving government services.

The Corporate Sponsor for International Students works in partnership with educational institutions, local councils and the Consular Corps to address the safety needs of the increasing number and diversity of this population group.

In 2015 there were 645,185 international students enrolled in institutions across Australia (an increase of 190,000 from 2011). NSW continues to host approximately 40% of the total international student population Australia-wide. The work of this portfolio has demonstrated the benefits of community engagement, interagency collaboration, trust building and the direct impact it makes in reducing crime, fear of crime and enhancing safety.

Examples of the achievements under this portfolio include the annual International Students Beach Soccer Tournament and the Commissioner’s XI versus International Students cricket match; strong social media engagement as well as the strengthening of partnerships with universities and Consulates.

Working with communities at risk of or a victim of Domestic and Family Violence

The NSW Police Force has established specific corporate and local initiatives to reduce the incidence of domestic violence within families from CALD backgrounds and increase reporting rates to police.

Family and domestic violence is an underreported crime. NSW has seen significant reforms to the way police and the judicial system responds to, prosecutes and prevents domestic and family violence.

Some of the key reforms since 2013 include:

• the introduction of police issued apprehended domestic violence orders (ADVOs) o These were translated into Arabic, simplified Chinese, Greek, Dari, Dinka, Farsi,

French, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Macedonian, Samoan, Spanish, Tongan and Vietnamese.

• Domestic Violence Safety Assessment Tool (DVSAT)




o The tool is used to identify the threat levels to domestic violence victims and applied to accurately and consistently record the level of threat to victims of domestic and family violence

o A card containing 25 questions translated into Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Hindi, Russian, Portuguese, Vietnamese and Spanish

o DVSAT Standard Operating Procedures explains how the tool is used when police interview a victim of domestic violence with limited or no English language skills

o Police training included how it is to be applied when interacting with victims from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds

• Safety Action Meetings (SAMS) o Chaired by senior police, these multi-agency meetings are held fortnightly and aim to

reduce the immediate threat to victims that police have assessed as being at serious risk. Key stakeholders attend SAMs, including support providers for victim from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds

o The safety of CALD victims of domestic and family violence are discussed by identifying appropriate safety plans with the aim to prevent further harm, serious injury or death

• Domestic Violence Evidence in Chief (DVEC)

o In a nationwide first, victims’ video statements taken at the scene and video footage taken in the immediate aftermath of domestic violence incidents are used as evidence in court cases

o Police use independent accredited interpreters when victims are from CALD backgrounds with limited or no English language skills.

1.2 The NSW Police Force will have a coordinated r esponse to bias motivated crime in order to reduce the incidence and threat of violenc e directed towards communities and individuals from diverse cultural, linguistic a nd religious backgrounds

A team has been dedicated to work with both internal and external stakeholders to coordinate the police response to bias motivated crime. The Bias Crimes Unit works closely with the Corporate Sponsor for Bias Motivated Crime and regional and specialist sponsors in order to build agency capabilities to respond efficiently to community concerns around bias motivated crime. The Unit also maintains very strong relationships with CALD communities.

Indicators to identify bias motivated crime have also been built into the NSW Police Force Computerised Operational Policing System (COPS) with further enhancements being developed to improve the ability to measure trends in bias motivated crime. Available data is analysed and informs the NSW Police Force response and strategies to respond to these crime types.

Officers from LACs patrol religious and international facilities during religious and international celebrations, and build relationships with religious and community leaders and foreign officials. For example, in the Flemington LAC, leaders of new and emerging religious groups maintain contact through the Multicultural Liaison Officers (MCLOs) who provide relevant information and support in relation to religious diversity. In 2016, the Cultural Diversity Team also facilitated a visit to the new Afghan Mosque by the Deputy Commissioner Field Operations to meet with this emerging group.

Training and forums for operational police have also been developed and are delivered in specific commands to raise awareness of bias motivated crime. The Bias Crimes Response & Investigations Standard Operating Procedures have also been implemented for police across the state.




1.3 The NSW Police Force will reduce the threat of terrorism and politically motivated violence and the negative impact on diverse cultura l, linguistic and religious communities of terrorist incidents and/or counter t errorism efforts

The NSW Police Force has a dedicated team in place to ensure that decision making in relation to counter terrorism is informed by community views and experiences.

The Engagement & Intervention Unit (formerly the Community Contact Unit) act as a conduit for information flows between the Counter Terrorism & Special Tactics Command and communities at risk of radicalisation, are likely to be impacted by police use of terrorism powers, or whose members may be victims of terrorism, community unrest or politically motivated violence.

The Engagement & Intervention Unit achieves this by actively engaging with community and religious leaders, as well as individuals, to promote positive working relationships and increase the understanding of the police counter terrorism strategies. The Unit also works closely with the Cultural Diversity Team to reach other communities at risk of radicalisation.

In addition to the work of the Engagement & Intervention Unit, the NSW Police Force has held information sessions for police to support community engagement with members of CALD communities to help reduce the threat of radicalisation, particularly in schools.

The NSW Police Force Operational Programs Command has conducted and facilitated a number of programs and activities on countering violent extremism (CVE) including making CVE the focus of the 2015 MCLO Conference, organising a Leadership Roundtable focussing on CVE, and initiating a school based program in a local school.

The NSW Police Force continues to identify and engage with a number of identified communities based on research, local demographic and crime statistics (e.g. language groups, age profiles, religious groups, refugees, international students, victims of crime).

A new database of community contacts is currently being developed to record community engagement to enable a greater understanding of each community group.

1.4 Wherever possible, young offenders from diverse cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds will be diverted from the criminal just ice system

The Young Offenders Act 1997 provides police with an option to divert eligible young offenders from court and detention through warnings, cautions or referral to a youth justice conference. The NSW Police Force achieves this through a range of specialist officers, including School Liaison Police, Specialist Youth Officers and Youth Liaison Officers.

The diversionary options available under the Young Offenders Act 1997 are communicated to all police officers through the ongoing work of the Corporate Sponsor for Youth. Youth Liaison Officers also provide police with a Notebook Card to ensure an easy access summary of the considerations to be taken when dealing with young offenders. Information regarding warnings, cautions and referrals is also made available to young people in custody, their support person and their legal representative. The Corporate Sponsor for Youth continues to work closely with Operational Programs to ensure that the provisions of the Young Offenders Act 1997 are administered equitably to eligible young offenders from CALD backgrounds.

Our work engaging with young people and creating a safer NSW is supported by the Operational Programs and the Youth Command. We also maintain partnerships with government agencies and external organisations such as Police Citizens Youth Clubs (PCYC) who allow us to work with young people in new and creative ways and undertake programs with youth specific outcomes.

The NSW Police Force has a range of tools such as Constable Charlie to assist in their interactions with young people. A range of officers specially trained in working with children and young people and education and training programs support all officers in dealing with young people. Such




engagement builds trust with young people while reducing crime, violence and fear of crime in the community and contributes to diverting young people from the court system.

Since 2013, the NSW Police Force has worked to promote data capture of CALD information to improve the identification of young people from CALD backgrounds who are charged with offences, issued with cautions or are referred to youth justice conferences and participate in youth conduct orders.

Police also work closely with external agencies to develop regular and ongoing diversionary programs for young people from CALD communities. A key example of the ongoing work with CALD community youth is the work done by Flemington LAC:

• Keeping Your Children Safe Program (youth at risk/gang related) • Upcoming Afghan gangs (gang related crime) • Dare to be Sensible Workshops (diverting juvenile crime; introduce problematic youth to the

judicial system and police custody issues; behavioural issues in society, diverting juvenile crime)

• Regents Park Outreach Program (help youth at risk through a range of activities and a separate youth zone)

• International Day of Disability Program (youth at risk with a disability) • Triple Zero Induction event (engage youth from the Islamic Dawah Centre of Australia to build

better relationships with police) • Auburn Council School Holiday Programs (educate youth about the role of police; engaging at

risk youth into mainstream society) • School Presentation Program (raise awareness about stranger danger, cyber safety and

internet safety) • Progress Park School Holiday Program (STARTTS refugee at risk youth participants) • A youth problem present (at risk youth with radicalised views within schools) • Radicalisation awareness campaign (at risk youth with radicalised views) • Child approach (stranger danger) • School Holiday Coffee with a COP (misconceptions or issues youth have with police) • Road trauma forum • Hazara Association Mental Health Program (focus on problem youth who may experience

mental health issues) • Police and School Principals forums (forced marriages and cybercrime; safety and problems

within schools) • Paint Auburn ‘Read’ (Literacy) • Crime Prevention workshop (students safety within the education centre) • Keeping international students safe • Truancy Operation (at risk children) • Refugee Week Achievement Awards (empowering refugees) • EID at Progress Park (possible antisocial behaviour) • Burmese Youth Community (unemployment and disengagement in the community) • Healthy Minds (healthy relationships and mental wellness).

Partner agencies with Flemington LAC include:

• Auburn and Strathfield Councils • Auburn Soccer Club • Auburn Islamic Community Centre • Auburn Youth Centre • Auburn Diversity Services • Australian Afghan Hassanian Youth Association • Department of Family and Community Services




• Hazara Association • Local schools • Metro Migrant Resource Centre • Muslim Students’ Association • NSW Department of Education • NSW Ministry of Health

1.5 Specific strategies will exist to ensure CALD c ommunities have access to information relating to crime prevention, community safety, vic tim support, reporting crime and the role of police

Since 2013, the NSW Police Force has produced community service announcements on a range of crime prevention issues.

For example, we developed community service announcements encouraging bystanders to report domestic and family violence to police. These delivered powerful messages about the impact of domestic and family violence on victims and their children, and the importance of those who witness such incidents to report them to police.

The NSW Police Force also produced a video titled, “It’s your time to be heard”, to help prepare victims of domestic and family violence for court. It was translated into Arabic, Korean, Mandarin and Vietnamese and included a voice-over.

A series of short crime prevention messages were broadcast on the NSW Police Force website, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter on topics such as ‘protect yourself online’, ‘protect your debit/credit card’, and ‘protect yourself against scammers’ and ‘safety for seniors’. The series is available as fact sheets in Arabic, simplified and modern Chinese, Croatian, Greek, Italian and Hindi.




Priority 2 Working with victims, witnesses, offenders and communities from diverse

cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds

Barriers to the accessibility of services for people from culturally, linguistically and

religiously diverse backgrounds are identified, and programs and services are developed

to address them

2.1 The Multicultural Community Liaison Officer (MC LO) Program will continue to be supported and promoted as a primary means of buildi ng strong relationships between police and diverse communities as well as building the capacity of the NSW Police Force to respond effectively to the needs of cultur ally, linguistically and religiously diverse communities

Since 2013, the MCLO program has continued to be supported and promoted as a primary means of building strong relationships between police and diverse communities, and for building the capacity of the NSW Police Force to respond effectively to the needs of CALD communities.

The NSW Police Force continues to implement recommendations of the MCLO review, including the updates to the MCLO Program Handbook, Systems Updates, staff development and redistribution of MCLO resources.

In 2013 three new LACs were allocated MCLOs to meet the increasing demand in line with demographic changes, and the program was expanded into Southern (Wollongong LAC) and Northern Regions (Newcastle City LAC) to meet the needs of local communities. In 2016, more than 30 MCLOs work with police across 25 LACs. They provide assistance with victim support information, community engagement activities and crime prevention projects in partnership with local community agencies and other specialist liaison officers.

Our MCLOs are generally from refugee or migrant backgrounds and as such have a greater capacity to fully understand issues that impact on the communities they work with. They represent the NSW Police Force by participating in over 20 community related meetings and events each month and they assist victims, offenders, witnesses and members of the public from CALD backgrounds who attend police stations. MCLOs also work closely with Domestic Violence Liaison Officers and Non-Government Organisation stakeholders, in particular the Women’s Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services, to assist victims of Domestic and Family Violence at the Courts.

MCLOs are co-located in the Crime Management Unit (CMU) of LACs and are directly responsible to the Crime Coordinator. MCLOs collaborate with all CMU Officers around activities, events, court visits, victim support and work collaboratively with Customer Service Duty Officers around community engagement and other initiatives determined by the LAC Commanders to achieve increased community safety. In Flemington LAC alone, MCLOs provided assistance on 310 occasions in 2015, including 204 events in the LAC and 33 events involving other police units.

In an effort to coordinate communication, trends and emerging issues for MCLOs and supervisors across LACs, Region MCLO coordination meetings are held twice a year, state-wide MCLO coordination meetings are held every three months, and LAC meetings are held weekly. State-wide and Region MCLO Coordination Meetings allow for coaching in corporate direction and priorities, while weekly CMU meetings allow for local discussions with Crime Coordinators and Commanders.

Information brochures on MCLOs have been translated into 40 community languages and made available for download from the NSW Police Force website.

2.2 A range of language resources will be availabl e to facilitate communication between police and CALD victims, witnesses, offenders and m embers of the public




A range of language resources are available to facilitate communication between police and CALD victims, witnesses, offenders and members of the public.

Interpreter services and training

For all communication that is to be used as evidence in an investigation and for court purposes, standard procedures are in place for NSW Police which require the use of independent accredited interpreters and translators when communicating with people who are not able to speak or understand English, or who are deaf or hearing impaired.

An agreement between Multicultural NSW and the Department of Justice allows police to book interpreters for victims of domestic and family violence, and for all offenders on behalf of local courts for first court appearances and mentions.

For the period 2013-2016, the NSW Police Force total expenditure on translators and interpreters exceeded $8 million.

Training on effective use of interpreters in policing is also provided by the Diversity Training Program in Operational Programs. Training is provided in the following areas:

• Skills in briefing, working with and debriefing interpreters • Managing behaviours in the interpreting context • Checking techniques and police applications of interpreters in safe custody • Interpreters in the investigative interview • Use of interpreters in domestic and family violence • Interpreters in crime prevention and information sessions • Skills in working with interpreters for police prosecutors.

The NSW Police Force has also identified the opportunity to further analyse the impact of inappropriate, or lack of use of interpreters, on failed police prosecutions and work is continuing to enhance the Police COPS system to include this functionality.

The NSW Police Force also continues to be represented on the Regional Board of the National Authority for the Accreditation of Translators & Interpreters (NAATI) and the Multicultural NSW Interpreters Forum.

Promotional material

The NSW Police Force has developed a number of public resources and promotional materials on community policing in languages other than English and made them available to CALD communities.

For example, a variety of promotional materials from various NSW Police Force Business Units including the Domestic and Family Violence Team, Drug and Alcohol Command, Crime Prevention Unit, Victims of Crime portfolio were developed and translated into written material, as well as vodcasts and podcast for easy access by members of CALD communities

The NSW Police Force also employs the language skills of staff and in some cases consultation with community contacts to conduct user testing of promotional and information products. For example, in 2015 the Cultural Diversity conducted an extensive community testing of promotional material around Domestic & Family Violence directed at CALD communities, prior to production and distribution. The community feedback around those materials led to cessation of production and distribution of those materials.

Multicultural Media Outlet and Communications

Since 2013, a multicultural media liaison resource has been dedicated to the Police Media Unit in order to strengthen relationships and maintain consistent contact with ethnic media. Ongoing




contact with the Arabic, Indian, Chinese and Korean media and radio has resulted in articles and monthly columns featuring policing issues of relevance to those communities.

The NSW Police Force has:

• increased use of multicultural community media outlets to disseminate police information, specifically Indialink, Korean Herald, Chinese Daily and Indian Telegraph

• increased use of multicultural social media, specifically Chinese Weibo and WeChat and, to a lesser extent, Korean Kakao

• a number of media releases and police information campaigns have been translated into other languages to ensure the message is available to CALD communities

• in Kuring-Gai LAC the MCLO leads a Police & Community Mandarin Radio Program • in Campsie the Crime Manager and MCLO liaise with local ethnic media outlets including

The Korean Herald, Suprovat Sydney, Voice of Islam Radio and Pacific Community Radio, as well as the Campsie LAC Facebook page

• the Cultural Diversity Team is also working closely with the multicultural media liaison officer to develop standard operating procedures to ensure CALD media outlets have greater access to police communications and campaigns and the content is “written for translation”.

Specific population groups including international students and refugee communities have received context specific support and access to information and services.

2.3 Offenders and victims are treated with respect, dignity and professionalism and will

have access to a range of supports in line with the ir legislated rights that accommodate language, cultural and religious needs when interacting with police

Since 2013, local processes and databases have been established to allow community members from CALD backgrounds to assist police to work with offenders as support people. Local processes have also been established to accommodate for reasonable dietary and prayer needs of people in custody.

Police are required to comply with legislative requirements regarding the use of support persons and administering cautions. The Safe Custody Course includes information on CALD offenders to ensure their religious, language and cultural needs are met where appropriate.

NSW Charter of Victims’ Rights and Customer Service Charter

The NSW Police Force has developed guidelines to complement the NSW Charter of Victims’ Rights, addressing the needs of victims and their families from CALD backgrounds.

Victims of Crime Fact Sheets were published in 16 languages as well as Easy English to support people with limited literacy skills and those for whom English is not their first language. The Fact Sheets were also made available as vodcasts.

In addition, the NSW Police Force Customer Service Charter was made available on the NSW Police Force website in 14 community languages: Arabic, Dari, French, Greek, Hindi, Korean, Macedonian, Mandarin, Samoan, Spanish, Swahili, Tamil, Turkish and Vietnamese.

Customer Service

In line with the NSW Police Force’s commitment to customer service, customer service evaluations and feedback surveys now include indicators specific to CALD backgrounds in order to capture community needs and opinions on a regular basis.




In 2016, internal customer service evaluations were conducted in the NSW Police Force, targeting general police knowledge and awareness of bias crime. The results demonstrated that police knowledge of bias crime was sound.

2.4 A range of opportunities will be made availabl e for police and communities from diverse cultural, linguistic and religious backgrou nds to interact in non-crisis situations and for community members to participate in NSW Police Force programs

Community engagement is critical to the success of policing. The NSW Police Force is developing a formal, comprehensive community engagement framework that will outline the concept of community engagement as it relates to frontline police.

Consisting of a number of interrelated elements, the community engagement framework will detail the workflow involved, tools and communication strategies as well as the various levels of engagement and their impact on the NSW Police Force and our planning management.

An independent consultant has conducted consultations with CALD communities to inform the development of our community engagement framework.

NSW Police Force received a NSW Community Engagement Award at the NSW Government 2015 International Student Awards in recognition of the proactive and dynamic work of the men and women of this organisation.

In 2013, the Community Relations Commission reported that the NSW Police Force demonstrated best practice in multicultural implementation and was rated within the highest level of the NSW Government Multicultural Framework. In its report Community Relations Report 2013: Advancing Multiculturalism in NSW, the Community Relations Commission acknowledged that our strong focus on effective and sustainable community interaction is having an impact.

The NSW Police Force was an active contributor to the development of the Education & Training Guidelines for Community Engagement developed by the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency (ANZPAA). These guidelines articulate the skills and knowledge required to effectively undertake community engagement. A key component of this document includes awareness of community diversity.

Community Engagement activities since 2013

Some of our key community engagement activities include:

• Police presentations for newly arrived communities: domestic violence, personal safety, home security and cyber safety

• #Fists Down youth program • ‘Her Time’ Multicultural Women’s Support Group • Presentation at the Annual Protective Behaviour Session • Chinese Community Youth Family Camp • Chinese Teenager Parental Survival Course • Community engagement events: Meet Your Neighbours, Street Party, Emergency Contacts

and Social Connection • Dare to be Sensible aimed at high school students re gang related behaviour • Dob in a Dealer at Wollongong Railway Station, University and mall • Domestic violence sessions for school parents • DriveSafe sessions directed at unaccompanied humanitarian minors • Domestic Violence forums for service providers • Domestic Violence reporting among women from the Indian Sub-Continent • Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Domestic Violence network meeting • Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Multicultural Network Forum • International Students T20 Cricket Tournament




• International Women Day • Men’s Night sessions for parents • Mental Health Forum • Multicultural Soccer Tournament aimed at Muslim youth • Northern Sydney Region Chinese Community Network • Northern Sydney Region Violence Against Women Reference Group • Pacific Australian Cultural Festival (School spectacular for Pacific Island students) • Sessions during Law Week for Arabic, Chinese, Dari and Farsi communities • Unstructured police officers training re: Refugee Camp in My Neighbourhood • Wise Up youth mentoring program • Youth forums for refugee and asylum seekers

A continuing highlight has been the NSW Police Force strong engagement with international students who are studying and living in NSW. Annual events include:

• a cricket tournament for international students from ten universities • a beach soccer tournament in partnership with Randwick City Council, Multicultural NSW,

SBS, Study NSW and ten universities and • a forum for education service providers organised in partnership with Study NSW and the

City of Sydney in October 2015, attended by over 120 education providers.

Activities to strengthen police and community relationships across LACs remain an important part of our multicultural strategies.

On a day to day basis, police also attend community events, neighbourhood watch groups and organised police station tours to build community capacity and trust in their local police. For example in 2015 the Flemington LAC attended 66 events, 49 information sessions and 57 meetings in support of multicultural community engagement in 2015. The previous year they attended 64 events, 53 information sessions and 76 meetings in support of multicultural community engagement.

Community Awareness of Policing Program (CAPP)

The NSW Police Force CAPP is a first for law enforcement agencies in Australia. Each year, invitations to participate are extended to individuals who are recognised community, business, sporting and academic leaders within the community.

CAPP participants interact with police from a number of commands taking part in realistic exercises as they respond to public order incidents, investigate crime scenes, direct maritime search and rescue missions and face armed offenders. These leaders are encouraged to pass on to members of their communities what they have seen, heard and done.

Local programs (CAPP in LACs) also offer the opportunity for leaders in local communities to get to know local police and the diverse range of services they have to offer. The program, which has similar objectives to its parent CAP program provides members of the community a chance to experience what it is like to be a police officer, showcasing the varied and complex duties of local police.

The State Manager for the Volunteers in Policing Program continues to work with LACs and participants to actively promote the recruitment and participation of members of CALD communities in the Program.

Priority 3 Community consultation and participation

Policy development and service delivery is informed by agency expertise and by client

feedback and complaints, and participation on advisory boards, significant committees

and consultation




3.1 The NSW Police Force will establish and maintai n an executive level consultative body to inform, advise on and assess its responsiveness to cultural, linguistic and religious diversity

Police Multicultural Advisory Council (PMAC)

The NSW Police Force has established and maintained an executive level consultative body to inform, advise on and assess its responsiveness to cultural, linguistic and religious diversity.

The PMAC has been instrumental in focusing our attention on culturally responsive policing. We continue to maintain an extended representation of community members, leaders and service providers. Each member of the council brings extensive insight, experience and leadership to help this organisation meet the daily challenges of policing a multicultural community.

There has been an increased emphasis on engagement with young people through PMAC-driven consultations across the state involving more than 250 young people. They explored issues of concern to young people in their community and specific to policing.

Each year PMAC meets with the Commissioner of Police twice and also as a caucus with the Deputy Commissioner Field Operations on two more occasions.

3.2 Tailored consultative strategies will inform an d provide feedback on service delivery

and program design, implementation and evaluation

Engaging communities across all ages and abilities and from a range of CALD backgrounds enhances our ability to respond to the rapidly changing environment. Our strong focus on effective and sustainable community engagement, built on participation and consultation, is crucial to the work of our organisation. Increased collaboration between various Business Units have led to the inclusion of views and needs of stakeholders from diverse cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds.

Community engagement and consultation is at the centre of what we do: whether it is investigating crime, responding to victims, seeking information, or promoting the value of proactive, less formal interactions such as community activities, consultations, participation in youth initiatives and partnerships with stakeholder organisations.

LACs also conduct ongoing consultations with CALD communities to identify issues and inform policing priorities. For example, the Fairfield LAC is actively involved in issues of refugee resettlement as identified through community consultations.

3.3 The NSW Police Force will form and sustain stro ng partnerships with other

government, non-government and community agencies t o inform its planning and response to issues impacting on culturally and ling uistically diverse communities

The NSW Police Force has maintained senior representation on local, state and federal government committees, including the GISPC and Settlement Service International Local Area Coordination meetings.

We have continued to sustain senior (Superintendent) level representation on all Regional Advisory Councils.

NSW Police Force representatives including MLCOs, School Liaison Police, Crime Prevention Officers, and Domestic Violence Liaison Officers continue to participate in Local Government, non government and interagency networks to maintain partnerships in order to respond to CALD policing issues.




All MCLOs and other Liaison Officers maintain contact databases on community leaders and service providers and make them accessible to LAC staff.

3.4 Complaints against police relating to alleged d iscrimination on the basis of culture, religion or language will be addressed with profess ionalism, documented and analysed for organisational planning purposes

The NSW Police Force has continued to investigate complaints by members of the public from CALD backgrounds in accordance with organisational procedures and with a focus on whether culture, language or religion is a relevant factor. For example, customer service evaluations and feedback surveys now include indicators specific to CALD backgrounds in order to capture community needs and opinions on a regular basis.

The NSW Police Force is in the process of developing strategies to capture data on the number of complaints made against police on the basis of culture, language or religion.

Information about complaints processes are being provided in other languages and through ethnic media channels to provide accessibility to the complaints system for people from CALD backgrounds.




Priority 4 Staff capacity building and support

The capacity of the agency is enhanced by the employment and training of people with

linguistic and cultural expertise

4.1 The NSW Police Force reflects and draws on the attributes of cultural, linguistic and religious diversity existent within the community i t serves

The NSW Police Force is a proud employer of a diverse range of people. We remain committed to reflecting the diverse community we serve and creating an inclusive workplace for all people, where everyone feels valued.

The strength of our workforce lies in its diversity and embracing difference, with the key to our success leveraging the contributions of employees with different backgrounds and perspectives. We continue to encourage applications from a diverse range of people and are committed to employment practices that are fair, responsive and inclusive.

Strategies to improve the recruitment, retention and development of employees from CALD backgrounds remain a priority for the NSW Police Force. Recruitment campaigns have been designed to attract candidates from CALD communities and events like the Annual Fairfield LAC Police Open Days, monthly Coffee with a Cop and directing Volunteer in Policing programs at people of CALD backgrounds serve as pathways to promote policing as a career. School Liaison Police and MCLOs also regularly assist and support young people of CALD backgrounds accessing information about policing as a profession.

During the reporting period, improvements have been made to the quality and quantity of workforce CALD data to inform planning for the increased employment, retention and participation of employees from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

The monitoring of attrition of staff from CALD backgrounds is addressed with specific actions under the CALD Workforce Strategic Plan 2016 – 2018.

4.2 Corporate and business plans demonstrate that N SW Police Force values the diverse backgrounds of its people, and is able to access an d make use of their diverse skills and experience

The NSW Police Force developed the Workforce Equity & Diversity Strategic Plan 2012-16 during this reporting period to ensure that corporate and business plans demonstrate that the organisation values the diverse backgrounds of its people and is able to access and make use of their diverse skills and experience.

Driven by the Corporate Sponsor for Cultural Diversity, the NSW Police Force began reviewing its internal policies, procedures and processes to strengthen the organisation’s internal response to CALD employees. This led to the development of the Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Workforce Strategic Plan 2016-18.

Employees who seek to adjust working arrangements to accommodate prayer and/or other religious issues are considered on a case by case basis. Flexible Work Practices Guidelines are available to assist employees, managers and supervisors in identifying options to accommodate requests from employees where it is reasonable in the circumstances and operationally possible.

Discrimination, harassment or vilification on the ground of race is prohibited under the NSW Police Force Respectful Workplace Policy & Guidelines. The standards of behaviour in the workplace consistent with the policy and the Code of Conduct & Ethics are regularly reinforced.




Strategic approaches to diversity and inclusion are addressed in the following Human Resource documents:

• 2015-16 Business Plan • 2013-16 Strategic Plan • 2012-16 Workforce Equity & Diversity Strategic Plan • 2016-18 Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Strategic Plan

Bicultural skills

A list of employees who are accredited by the National Authority for the Accreditation of Translators & Interpreters (NAATI) or are receiving the Community Language Allowance Scheme (CLAS) is maintained. Supervisors are encouraged to identify employees with cross-cultural and linguistically diverse skills and assets, and, where possible, apply it in the course of their duties NSWPF continues to encourage staff to apply for and qualify for payment under the CLAS.

The Government CLAS Program is promoted internally and guidelines on the operation of the scheme are available for staff. It should be noted that the CLAS has been under review for approximately 18 months with examinations to qualify on hold. A list of employees who are interested in undertaking relevant examinations once the review is finalised is being maintained.

Standard operating procedures have been implemented around interpreter policies, including the circumstances around their use, procurement and funding, training to use them appropriately and the context for using a range of supplementary language services in particular circumstances. These include the CLAS, designated bilingual officers, MCLOs and staff with unaccredited skills in languages other than English.

4.3 Cultural skills and examples of working effecti vely with cultural, religious and linguistic diversity are recognised and rewarded at a range of levels within the organisation

Negotiations continue regarding the creation of an identified category or criteria within the assessment methodology for determining award recipients for the Commissioner’s Customer Service Awards.

The development of internal and external awards and recognition programs for leaders and role models of diversity have now been incorporated into the CALD Workforce Strategic Plan 2016-2018.

At the local level, MCLOs have been awarded for exceptional customer service to CALD communities (e.g. 2016 Local Police Officer for the Year award – MCLO at Green Valley LAC; 2015 Irene Juergens Fellowship Award – MCLO at Ryde LAC).

Good practice examples of successful, effective and innovative work within cultural diversity are also publicised in the Police Monthly across the organisation.

4.4 A range of support staff, mechanisms and tools will be established to build the capabilities of staff within the NSW Police Force t o respond to diverse cultural, linguistic and religious needs as they encounter th em

Tailored operational diversity training is available to address the needs of individual commands.

The NSW Police Force conducts simulated training sessions known internally as Minerva and Hydra. Both aim to recreate policing incidents and policing problems with a high degree of realism. This encourages participants to become quickly immersed in an incident with a sense of reality.

Diversity awareness and the impact of unconscious bias within the decision making process has been enhanced within our simulated training. In addition Hydra exercises have been developed specifically on bias motivated crime and diversity for senior police leaders.




Diversity perspectives and content have been integrated into the training curriculum for new recruits. All tutors who deliver program to new recruits have undertaken training on the integrated curriculum.

Examples of inclusive workplaces have been also integrated into a number of internal policies, for example, the Flexible Work Practices Policy and Respectful Workplaces Policy and Guidelines.

Programs and activities to build staff capability continue to be an important part of NSW Police Force’s multicultural strategies. A number of programs and activities undertaken since 2013 include:

• Integration of a number of professional diversity training and development programs into core skills programs for police and frontline staff. These included the Safe Custody Course, Detectives Investigative Interviewing Course; Youth Officers Course; Domestic Violence Liaison Officers Course; Human Sources Management Course; Crime Prevention Officers Course; Sergeants, Inspectors and Superintendents Transition Courses; Incident Commanders Course; and the Women’s Leadership Program

• Development of diversity content for the recruit training program

• Delivery of specialist mental health awareness training to help police respond to mental health related incidents. Trans-cultural mental health is now included in the course to increase police understanding of these challenges within culturally and linguistically diverse communities

Strategies to improve the recruitment, retention and development of staff from CALD backgrounds remained a priority for the NSW Police Force.

Improvements have also been made to the quality and capture of workforce data to inform planning for the increased employment, retention and participation of staff from CALD backgrounds

All new employees, both sworn and unsworn, are encouraged to complete EEO data as part of their induction. This includes information relating to employees from CALD communities. Internal messaging is circulated quarterly, encouraging all staff to complete their EEO information.

Education Development Officers and senior lecturers have been equipped with training and resources on diversity issues to include in respective training courses and ongoing discussions are taking place with Education and Training to review and incorporate Diversity perspectives into Mandatory Continuing Police Education Courses.

Cultural Diversity Helpline

The Cultural Diversity Team continues to maintain an internal helpline that assists police with enquiries about a range of issues regarding the impact of CALD on operational matters. This service is promoted through internal communications and is available on the NSW Police Force Intranet.

Knowledge Map

The Corporate Sponsor for Cultural Diversity, with support from Operational Programs, continues to maintain the Cultural Diversity Knowledge Map on the NSW Police Force Intranet as a point of reference and assistance for all staff on issues relating to policing in the context of cultural, linguistic and religious diversity. Aboriginal cultural awareness training

Ongoing discussions are taking place with the Aboriginal Coordination Team to provide mandatory Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Training to NSW Police Force employees within MCLOs and the Cultural Diversity Team.




4.5 NSW Police Force employees from CALD backgroun ds will be supported to meet their religious and cultural needs in the workplace

The NSW Police Force has processes in place to accommodate reasonable dietary, clothing, prayer and other religious needs of on-campus policing students and serving employees.

The NSW Police Force has reviewed its internal policies and grievance procedures relating to discrimination, harassment and vilification on the basis of ethnicity, culture, language and/or religious affiliation for employees and in December 2016, released the Respectful Workplace Behaviours Policy, Guidelines, tools and new intranet page, under the Respectful and Inclusive Workplace Campaign.




Priority 5 Operational planning and capacity

Multicultural policy goals are integrated into the overall corporate and business

planning, as well as the review mechanisms of the agency

5.1 The NSW Police Force Multicultural Policies and Services Program Forward Plan will be adapted to the needs of each Local Area and Spec ialist Command to ensure local relevance and application of the Principles of Mult iculturalism

The NSW Police Force Multicultural Policies & Services Plan (MPSP) has been be adapted to the needs of each local area and specialist command to ensure local relevance and application of the Principles of Multiculturalism.

Key to the implementation of the MPSP has been the alignment of the MPSP with the NSW Police Force Corporate Plan 2012-16 and the Workforce Equity & Diversity Strategic Plan 2012-16, with reference to the Premier's Priorities. The MPSP was made available from our website www.police.nsw.gov.au.

The MPSP was developed in consultation with the NSW Police Force Corporate Plan 2012-16 and the Workforce Equity & Diversity Strategic Plan 2012-16, with reference to the Premier’s Priorities. The MPSP also included a template to assist LACs to develop and implement local MPSP Forward Plans.

An internal communications strategy was developed and implemented to effectively communicate the MPSP and advise commands and business units of their designated actions for implementation. The MPSP was also published in the Police Monthly.

Commands/business units have reported quarterly on key performance indicators for MPSP through COMPASS.

5.2 Corporate documents and business plans will ref lect relevant priorities around addressing issues of cultural, linguistic and relig ious diversity

Corporate diversity planning and focus was championed by the Corporate Sponsor for Cultural Diversity. Region and command focus on diversity issues were driven by Cultural Diversity Region Sponsors with the assistance of the Cultural Diversity Team within Operational Programs and the MCLOs across the state.

Strategic approaches to diversity and inclusion are also addressed in the following documents:

• 2015-16 Business Plan • 2013-16 Strategic Plan • 2012-16 Workforce Equity & Diversity Strategic Plan • 2016-18 Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Strategic Plan

The NSW Police Force Corporate Plan 2012-16 made explicit reference to the CALD needs of staff as well as a consolidated approach to meeting the safety and policing information needs of CALD communities, refugees, humanitarian entrants and asylum seekers.

Local community engagement plans have been developed in consultation with the Cultural Diversity Team and with the Corporate and Region Sponsors for Cultural Diversity.

Business plans developed by the NSW Police Force within the 2013-2016 reporting period:

• attempt to reflect the Principles of Multiculturalism • are informed by demographic and intelligence data • attempt to identify any impact of cultural and linguistic diversity • aim to include strategies to address these issues




The NSW Police Force also continues to use available data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection to inform local business planning and operational responses to the settlement of newly arrived communities from diverse cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds. We have relied on this data and our environmental scans during our involvement with the GISPC.

5.3 Local resources will be dedicated to assist sta ff to work effectively with individuals and communities from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds

LACs include interpreter and translation services and expenditure in local budgets and budgetary line items for language services have been designated to assist financial allocation.

As outlined above, MCLOs are deployed to LACs and Specialist Commands to address identified needs and build the capacity of Commands to work with CALD communities. The Cultural Diversity Team also continues to maintain the Helpline to assist on issues relating to diversity.

5.4 Cross-command collaboration and interagency co operation will inform operational outcomes, communication and consultation strategies

The NSW Police Force continues to foster cross-command collaboration and interagency cooperation to inform operational outcomes, communication and consultation strategies.

An example of such collaboration was following the Martin Place Siege where the Corporate Sponsors for Cultural Diversity, Bias Motivated Crimes, International Students and Crime Prevention jointly developed a communications plan and specific police messages to CALD communities about public safety that were translated into 15 community languages.

At the local level MCLOs continue to support their commanders as they meet with identified community groups to discuss the police response and address any community concerns.

Another example of our efforts to increase regional CALD strategies was a regional mapping exercise conducted in 2014 to better understand the diversity makeup of Southern Region. Region consultations were hosted in Wagga Wagga and Wollongong. Representatives from each of the region’s commands helped identify places of worship, police and community contact points for example, local community agencies and settlement services. This allowed for better planning for community engagement, resource allocation and program development.

Since 2013, NSW Police Force Regional Commanders Forums have continued to identify and respond to shared priorities across LACs relating to cultural, linguistic and religious diversity championed by the respective Region Sponsors for Cultural Diversity.

Community Safety Precinct Committee meetings continue to be utilised by LACs to identify and explore solutions to address policing and community needs where cultural linguistic and religious diversity is relevant (for example, Flemington LAC and Cabramatta LAC).




Priority 6 Leadership and Accountability

CEOs and senior managers actively promote and are accountable for the

implementation of the Principles of Multiculturalism within the agency and the wider

community

6.1 The NSW Police Force will develop, implement an d report against a Multicultural Policies & Services Program Forward Plan that is aligned with its Corporate Plan and compliant with NSW legislation

The MPSP 2011-14 (extended to 2016) was developed following significant consultation with both internal and external stakeholders. An Internal Communications Strategy was developed to communicate the MPSP and advise Business Units in relation to their designated actions for implementation.

The NSW Police Force established an MPSP Committee that included the Corporate and Region Sponsors for Cultural Diversity, as well as members of the Cultural Diversity Team to facilitate implementation of the MPSP.

Every six weeks the Cultural Diversity Team reported on MPSP priorities in detail to the Corporate Sponsor for Cultural Diversity, who regularly reports on cultural diversity priorities to the Commissioner of Police.

In addition, Corporate and Region Sponsors have led service delivery in the areas of bias motivated crimes, victims of crime, youth and international students. These Corporate Sponsors have also developed strategic plans for their portfolios that specifically respond to CALD communities.

6.2 The NSW Police Force Executive and senior mana gers will demonstrate their commitment to the agency’s multicultural objectives and the Principles of Multiculturalism

The role of Corporate Sponsor for Cultural Diversity has been maintained at the rank of Deputy Commissioner, and Cultural Diversity accountabilities have been included in the portfolio holder’s performance agreement.

The Commissioner of Police and the Corporate Sponsor for Cultural Diversity have demonstrated their commitment to multicultural objectives within and outside the NSW Police Force by actively leading the organisation’s response to diversity issues. The Commissioner of Police and the Corporate Sponsor for Cultural Diversity take every opportunity to do this by representing the NSW Police Force at state and national forums and conferences such as the 2013 National Forum on Diversity Training in Policing, the Affinity Intercultural Foundation, and the 2015 Advancing Community Cohesion Conference at the University of Western Sydney.

In addition an audio message was recorded by the Commissioner of Police on the organisation’s commitment to diversity which was played at the opening of all police training courses conducted in March 2014 in recognition of the NSW State Government’s initiative, Multicultural March.

The NSW Police Force has ensured consistent occupancy of the role of Region Sponsors for Cultural Diversity. These senior officers regularly communicate with their peers within their respective regions on policing issues affecting CALD communities to ensure these priorities remain a focus.

One example of NSW Police Force senior leadership championing cultural diversity and undertaking effective community engagement is the Ryde LAC (where the Commander is a Region Sponsor for Cultural Diversity). In 2014 the LAC published survey results which demonstrated that the majority of local residents believed their city was not racist, and had full confidence in the




Police to deal with racial vilification. The survey results were shared on a range of media platforms and received favourable media coverage.

NSW Police Force host the first National Forum on Diversity Training in Policing

In 2014, the NSW Police Force hosted the first National Forum on Diversity Training in Policing. Representatives from Australian jurisdictions came together to begin a process of identifying and benchmarking what comprises diversity training in policing.

At that time, the NSW Police Force was the only jurisdiction to have integrated diversity skills across core police training, as well as having conducted research in the US, UK and Middle East. The NSW Police Force engaged the Human Rights Commission as a partner in the inaugural working forum. The outcomes and recommendations are contained in the report.

The NSW Police Force also participated with the Australian Human Rights Commission and the private sector on the development of a Leading for change: a blueprint for cultural diversity and inclusive leadership.

6.3 Staff will be accountable for integrating the Principles of Multiculturalism into their work performance where relevant

Negotiations are currently underway with Performance Improvement and Planning Command to discuss the possibility of incorporating accountabilities for implementing the Principles of Multiculturalism and the MPSP Forward Plan into the Performance Agreement of all Business Unit Managers.

Members of the Cultural Diversity Team and MCLOs with direct contact with CALD communities have Agreed Key Responsibilities under the Career Management System including indicators around addressing cultural, linguistic and religious diversity.




Lessons Learnt 2013-16 What the agency has learnt and how that will inform the next planning cycle

In February 2014, the Community Relations Commission provided detailed feedback and assessment to NSW Police Force on its Multicultural Policies & Services Plan Implementation Report 2012-13. This assessment informed MPSP planning and performance improvements in the following four key areas for improvement.

1. Strategic use of the MPSP Monitoring Committee to further improve planning and performance

2. Better data collection and analysis 3. Identifying priority areas in policing for research 4. Use of emerging technology.

The challenge for all policing agencies is that its operating environment, technologies and communities are constantly and rapidly changing.

Despite this, we are learning to reflect, start to collect evidence and utilise a greater level of analysis and scanning in planning our medium to long term responses. Where evidence is scant, we are starting to be part of academia to create the platforms to gather evidence.

1. MPSP Monitoring Committee

Led by the Corporate Sponsor for Cultural Diversity, the Cultural Diversity Region Sponsors met at least quarterly over the reporting period. This group is the think tank responsible for steering the agency’s MPSP implementation. An analysis of the meeting agendas and minutes over this period reveals that meeting content covered:

• environmental scanning and implications for policing diverse communities • refugee focus (several meetings) • diversity inclusion leadership • regional issues/consultative processes – reports from these discussions informed further

corporate discussion on emerging issues • community engagement and messaging to ensure diverse communities receive police

community information • analysis of events (such as the Lindt Cafe siege and the shooting of Curtis Cheng) • MPSP priorities for 2016-20 plan.

In 2014 the Corporate Sponsor for Cultural Diversity decided to hold at least two meetings that were combined with Region Sponsor for the Cultural Diversity, Bias Crimes and International Students portfolios. This decision was in recognition of the intersections between these portfolios as well as to encourage cross portfolio thinking, collaboration and problem solving. The Commissioner of Police was briefed regularly by the Corporate Sponsor for Cultural Diversity.

We believe that the depth of thinking and discussion at these combined meetings, and the leadership shown by all portfolios in promoting and spreading good practice, lifted the level at which the NSW Police Force operated corporately, regionally and locally over the reporting period.

2. Better data collection and analysis

Data collection and analysis of all operational and frontline performance is based on COPS which is an extensive database used to capture, access and analyse crime information and intelligence.

The COPS Modernisation Program continues to improve data collection.




3. Identifying priority areas for research

The NSW Police Force reviews all cross disciplinary research and collaborations with external researchers who want to conduct NSW police related research.

All research applications are assessed against criteria including the potential application of the results to current policing practice and the validity of the research and its impact on organisational resources.

During this reporting period, we facilitated a number of external research projects of relevance to policing and multicultural issues:

• One project studied the impact on interpreters in serious investigations with high incident groups, including hostage negotiation, trafficking and hate crimes. This research was conducted by the University of Western Sydney and FBI/CIA High Incident Group, Washington. The NSW Police Force provided input into the interview questions. More than 100 interviews were conducted at NSW Police Headquarters, and the findings will inform police training. The research investigated the differences between monolingual and interpreted interviews, the effect of the position of the interpreter in terms of rapport building and accuracy of interpretation, which is of particular interest to this organisation.

• We facilitated research by University of Tasmania into the use of interpreters in investigative interviewing, which involved interviews with detectives. The results of this research are pending and will also inform police training.

The NSW Police Force embarked on a process of identifying strategic areas for research to improve the evidence base for our practice as well as commissioning our own research projects. A scoping was conducted to identify issues that require exploratory or evaluative research. The scoping exercise will inform a research agenda to be set in 2017. A more strategic approach to research on policing and diversity will be explored.

Research commissioned by the NSW Police Force included:

• A review of two community engagement programs in Redfern LAC conducted by Professor Karl Roberts, Western Sydney University

• A literature review of social cohesion projects conducted in Australia by the NSW Police Force

• A literature review on the link between social cohesion and crime by Professor Karl Roberts, Western Sydney University

• Research into the NSW Police Force community engagement framework conducted by DiverseWerks Cultural Perspectives Group

Each of these research projects will inform NSW Police Force planning and responses to community engagement and crime prevention.

4. Emerging technology use

During this reporting period the NSW Police Force designed a range of communication strategies using emerging technology to increase community safety, reduce and prevent crime.

A range of communication products and media releases were translated into a number of community languages to ensure accessibility by the culturally and linguistically diverse communities of NSW.

• Its Your Time to Be Heard, video was produced to prepare victims of domestic and family violence for court with subtitles and voiceovers in Arabic, Korean, Mandarin and Vietnamese




• A series of short digital messages were broadcast through YouTube, our website, Facebook, and Twitter called the Crime Prevention Series. The information in these digital messages were posted as tip sheets in Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, Greek, Italian and Hindi

• A series of community service announcements encouraging the reporting of domestic violence to police by bystanders were developed. These announcements delivered a powerful message about the impact of domestic violence on victims and their children and the importance of bystanders who witness them. They were well received by the community and had a significant reach, as evidenced by the number of likes and shares on social media, as well as being shown on prime time television

• We continue to use Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and WEIBO to communicate crime prevention and safety messages continue to be used

• A comprehensive range of information for victims of crime is available through vodcasts on our website, as well as printable multilingual fact sheets. These were also translated into Auslan for the deaf and hearing impaired, and Easy English for people with reading difficulties

• Police are increasing their use of audio visual platforms such as Facetime and Skype to access interpreters in rural, regional and remote locations

• The NSW Police Force has introduced the Community Portal, which is another vehicle the community can use to report non-emergency crime

• Using state of the art call centre technology, the Police Assistance Line continues to receive a large volume of enquiries requiring the use of the telephone interpreter service.




Glossary

ANZPAA Australian New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency

ADVOs Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders

AMEP Adult Migrant English Program

MNSW Multicultural NSW

CALD Culturally, Linguistically and Religiously Diverse

CAPP Community Awareness of Policing Program

CDT Cultural Diversity Team

CLAS Community Language Assistance Scheme

CMUs Crime Management Unit

COMPASS Command Performance Accountability System

COPS Computerised Operational Policing System

CT&ST Counter Terrorism & Special Tactics Command

CVE Countering Violent Extremism

DVEK Domestic Violence Evidence Kits

DVSAT Domestic Violence Safety Assessment Tool

GISPC NSW Government Immigration & Settlement Planning Committee

IPROWD Indigenous Police Recruitment Our Way Delivery

LAC Local Area Command

MCLOs Multicultural Community Liaison Officers

MPSP Multicultural Policies & Services Program

NAATI National Authority for the Accreditation of Translators & Interpreters

NGO Non Government Organisation

NSW New South Wales

PCYCs Police Citizens Youth Clubs

PMAC Police Multicultural Advisory Council

SAMS Safety Action Meetings

SLPs School Liaison Police

SSI Settlement Services International

STARTTS Service for the Treatment & Rehabilitation of Torture & Trauma Survivors

SYOs Specialist Youth Officers

VIPs Volunteers In Policing

WDVCAS Women’s Domestic Violence Court Assistance Scheme

WREU Workplace Relations & Equity Unit

YLOs Youth Liaison Officers




Documents

MPSP Implementation Report 2013-2016 - Final · Title: MPSP Implementation Report 2013-2016 - Final Author: n2006301 Created Date: 2/6/2017 9:52:19 AM Keywords ()