OVERVIEW Aboriginal Strategic
Direction 2007 – 2011
WHAT IS THE ABORIGINAL STRATEGIC DIRECTION (ASD)?
The ASD is a working document (policy)
that identifies where Police can have significant input to decrease the over-representation of Aboriginal
people in the criminal justice
system. The ASD guides police in its management of Aboriginal issues and
seeks Aboriginal community ownership and involvement through a consultative and
proactive approach. The theme of this Policy is to involve Aboriginal people
including (grass roots members) in consultation so that they understand what
NSW Police Force is attempting to achieve
and their role (the community) in the process.
THE SEVEN OBJECTIVES OF THE ASD
The Objectives describe the seven key
issues that we will address during the implementation of the ASD. These
Objectives are linked to our Corporate Plan, which has as its Goal; a safe NSW
with a respected police force working with the community to reduce violence,
crime and fear.
The Seven Objectives are:
- Improve communication and understanding between Police
and Aboriginal people. - Improve community safety and reduce fear of crime.
- Seek innovation in the provision of Aboriginal Cultural Awareness and Aboriginal recruitment and
retention. - Divert Aboriginal youth from crime and anti-social
behaviour. - Establish an integrated approach to managing
Aboriginal family violence (5a domestic violence and 5b: sexual assault) - Develop a strategic response to Aboriginal substance
abuse. - Reduce offending and over-representation of Aboriginal
people in the criminal justice system.
The Objectives provide the basis for
which Local Area Command Aboriginal Action Plans can be developed. Local Area Commands (LACs) will be required to take
the lead in their development, however wide consultation
with the Aboriginal community and other stakeholders must take place so
that real working partnerships can be established.
LOCAL AREA COMMAND ABORIGINAL ACTION PLANS
A focus of the ASD will be engaging the
Aboriginal community in the development of Local Area Command Aboriginal Action
Plans that will guide police/Aboriginal interventions. This provides Aboriginal
people a say in how their community is policed and is achieved through:
- listening to and understanding Aboriginal people in the communities we police; and
- working with Aboriginal people and communities in a proactive partnership.
The abovementioned
Local Area Command Aboriginal
Action Plan must demonstrate community involvement by being co-signed by the
Local Area Commander and an Aboriginal person (LAC Aboriginal Consultative
Committee member) nominated by the community.
THREE TIER ABORIGINAL CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEES
Communication with the Aboriginal
community is a fundamental principle driving
the ASD. We will work with Aboriginal people to explore what
self-determination and cultural appropriateness means for them with regard to
how leadership on law andjustice issues can be achieved locally. The forum to
achieve this will be through the following Aboriginal Advisory Committees which
we have established to strengthen relations with Aboriginal people across NSW:
- Local Area Command Aboriginal Consultative Committee
(LACACC); - Regional Aboriginal Advisory Committee (RAAC); and
- Police Aboriginal Strategic Advisory Council (PASAC).
These committees aim to:
- Break down the barriers between police and Aboriginal people;
- Provide a forum for Aboriginal people and police
to participate in
decision making; - Identify strategies in the development of joint action plans; and
- Address Aboriginal issues at a local and regional level as well as those
that have a state-wide implication.
The LACACC is where
the Aboriginal community and police meet to discuss crime and violence issues in their LAC and
develop Local Area Command Aboriginal Action
Plans. The Terms of Reference for the above Committees are available
from local police on request.
OUTCOMES
The success or otherwise of the ASD
will be monitored internally by police, externally by the
NSW Ombudsman’s
Office and our partners through the Police Aboriginal Strategic Advisory Council.
We will work within a whole of
government framework to ensure that our policies, practices and procedures are
consistent with the direction of the NSW Government. We will report against and
implement where deemed necessary, the relevant Reports, Recommendations,
Taskforces or Summits that drives the work of Government in its management of
Aboriginal issues in NSW.
This includes (but is not limited to)
the TwoWays Together
Plan (Whole of
Government approach driven by the Department of Aboriginal Affairs), the NSW Interagency
Plan to Tackle Child Sexual Assault in Aboriginal
Communities 2006–2011, the NSW State Plan and the NSW Aboriginal Justice Plan.
NSW STATE PLAN
The State Plan, A New Direction for NSW, was launched by the Premier, Morris
Iemma in November 2006. The State Plan is set out in terms of five areas of
activity for the NSW Government.
The ASD is
consistent with the following Key Goals and Priority Areas in Chapter 2 and Chapter 4 from the
NSW State Plan:
- Chapter 2 – Rights, Respect and
Responsibility – the justice system and services that promote community involvement and citizenship. - Keeping people safe. -Priority R1;
Reduced rates of crime, particularly violent crime -Priority R2; Reduced
re-offending. - Building harmonious communities. -Priority R3; Reduced levels of
anti-social behaviour -Priority R4; Increased participation and integration in
community activities. - Chapter 4 – Fairness and Opportunity – services that promote social justice and reducedisadvantage.
- Strengthening Aboriginal Communities. – Priority F1; Improved health and
education for Aboriginal people.
NSW ABORIGINAL JUSTICE PLAN (AJP)
The ASD is consistent with the AJP aims
and its 7 strategic directions. The ASD primarily aims to improve and strengthen
the relationship between police and Aboriginal communities.
ROYAL COMMISSION INTO ABORIGINAL DEATHS IN CUSTODY
We will continue
to link our work to and implement the Recommendations from the Royal
Commission into Aboriginal
Deaths in Custody.
KEY EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS
To ensure our management of Aboriginal
issues is open and transparent we will engage and consult with:
- Aboriginal people (at the grass roots level) and communities;
- Aboriginal organisations;
- Non-government organisations servicing Aboriginal people; and
- other Commonwealth, State or Local Government Agencies.
We will strive to develop partnerships
with the Aboriginal community, government, and non-government service
providers. This approach will recognise the important role other agencies or
Aboriginal controlled services can provide in bringing about successful
outcomes for Aboriginal people and minimise any negative contact with police.
COMMUNITY WORKING PARTIES / ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY JUSTICE GROUPS
While we seek that our Three Tier
Aboriginal Consultative model is implemented to address justice issues and
drive our policy, we are aware that other community forums currently exist.
Flexibility is recommended where Community Working Parties and/or Aboriginal Community Justice Groups have been
established.
In implementing the ASD, police will
need to identify locally, how this might best be achieved. In smaller
communities in may not be practical to have a LACACC, a Community Working Party
and an Aboriginal Community Justice Group as
members will usually be the same group of committed people.
INNOVATION IN SEEKING SOLUTIONS
We will encourage our officers to work
with Aboriginal communities to seek
innovative solutions that result in positive outcomes for Aboriginal people and
police. Officers will be encouraged to explore a range of diversion options in
partnership with the Aboriginal community and service providers or other
Justice Agencies.
New ways of addressing Aboriginal
disadvantage are being implemented or considered in many forums across the
State. We will participate in discussions that identify communities where
alternative law and justice initiatives for Aboriginal people may be
introduced. Through consultation with Aboriginal people we will seek and
promote local solutions for local problems.
IDENTIFYING AND RESPECTING THE ROLE OF ELDERS
We recognise the significance of
Aboriginal Elders as custodians of knowledge and teachers of lore and customs
to Aboriginal people. It is important that we acknowledge the position of
Aboriginal Elders in the community by
seeking their input on matters affecting the community wherever
possible.
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S BUSINESS
Men’s Business and Women’s Business
refers to cultural knowledge, history, stories and traditions that are shared
or passed down to others based on gender. It is forbidden to discuss men’s
business in the company of women and vice versa.
It is important for
Police to understand this when they are interacting with Aboriginal people as victims, offenders or through any other form of consultation
or contact with the Aboriginal community.
ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY LIAISON OFFICERS
ACLOs are employed to liaise, develop
and maintain open communication with the
Aboriginal community. The ACLO assists in the development of LAC
Aboriginal Action Plans and other crime prevention initiatives within their
community.
ACLOs are not police officers; they are
field-based and are provided ongoing training and development that enables them
to offer appropriate advice and assistance to the community. We will seek to
ensure that female ACLOs are available to cater for Aboriginal women (“women’s
business”).
LOCAL AREA COMMAND ABORIGINAL ISSUES OFFICERS
Local Area Command (LAC) Aboriginal
Issues Officers are Inspector level Police Officers and have a key role in the
management of Aboriginal issues at the LAC.
This role ensures the flow of information and the regular reporting on
Aboriginal issues are maintained at the LAC.
The role requires
the LAC Aboriginal Issues Officer to develop an awareness of a range
of Aboriginal issues and support
other initiatives where appropriate.
REGION ABORIGINAL SPONSORS
Region Aboriginal
Sponsors are Superintendent level police officers whose role is to oversee the
implementation of Aboriginal policy within their respective police region. The
establishment of Region Aboriginal Sponsors within the organisation came about to ensure that information flowing into and
out of each region concerning Aboriginal issues was centrally
coordinated.
The role requires the Region Aboriginal
Sponsor to develop an awareness of a range of Aboriginal issues and support
other initiatives where appropriate. Region Aboriginal Sponsors report to the
ASD Steering Committee on Region progress of the ASD.
CORPORATE
SPOKESPERSON FOR ABORIGINAL ISSUES
The Corporate
Spokesperson for Aboriginal Issues is an Assistant Commissioner level officer and is one of
many corporate spokespersons within NSW Police Force.
The Spokesperson Program gives
nominated senior officers the corporate responsibility to develop an overview of strategy, policy and operational practice
in a particular portfolio; to maintain the corporate profile for the
portfolio and to be an advocate for the area when required.
The Corporate Spokesperson chairs the
Aboriginal Strategic Direction Steering Committee which meets quarterly. This
internal Committee is responsible for reporting against and ensuring that the
seven objectives of the ASD are being implemented.
ABORIGINAL
COORDINATION TEAM (ACT)
The role of the ACT is to develop and
implement corporate policy and respond to
legislation in relation to Aboriginal issues and to support / lead the
various structures that manage Aboriginal issues across the organisation.
Employees of the ACT are non-sworn officers (not police officers) and are of
Aboriginal descent.
ABORIGINAL COORDINATION TEAM
Manager (02) 8835 9129
ACLO State Coordinator (02) 8835 9545
Aboriginal Family Violence Officer (02)
8835 8003
Program Officer (02) 8835 9130
Program Support Officer (02) 8835 8918
ABORIGINAL COORDINATION UNIT (ACT) ADDRESS
Level 8A
Commissioners Inspectorate
Executive Support Group
NSW Police Force
1 Charles Street
PARRAMATTANSW 2150