Young members of the community are set to benefit from a new suite of police resources launched by Southern Region Command today (Friday 21 June).
Police will be joined by Community Elders, members of the PCYC and students from Lake Illawarra High School and Oak Flats High School for the official launch of three brand new police community engagement trailers.
The specially built trailers, wrapped with Aboriginal artwork by artist Rachel Treacy, will each have an awning, a fridge and a barbeque and house sporting equipment that can be utilised to promote teamwork in a fun and relaxed setting.
Southern Region Commander, Assistant Commissioner Peter Barrie APM, said the trailers are a useful tool in ensuring community safety and will provide a great opportunity for youth and community engagement activities.
"One of our key priorities is to partner with Aboriginal communities and other service providers, such as the PCYC, to achieve positive outcomes for youth, particularly in areas that don't have easy access to other facilities," he said.
"The idea of an outreach program involving police and the PCYC was recently trialled in the Bellambi area during school holidays with support from the PCYC and St George Illawarra Dragons."
"These trailers will be used as an outreach tool through active community engagement and will give our officers an opportunity to build relationships in an informal setting."
The trailers have each been kitted out with sporting equipment to be used by members of the NSW Police Force, including Aboriginal Liaison Officers, Youth Liaison Officers, School Liaison Officers and PCYC staff at venues where young people congregate.
The trailers were purchased by the NSW Police Force Southern Region Command, with additional funding provided through the Aboriginal Strategic Direction Crime Prevention Grants scheme to cover the cost of the artwork and sporting goods.
The NSW Police Force Aboriginal Strategic Direction 2018 – 2023 (ASD) sets the framework by which the NSW Police Force can promote positive outcomes and foster better understanding between Police and Aboriginal people.
Assistant Commissioner Barrie, the NSWPF Corporate Sponsor for Aboriginal Programs, said the trailers will provide an opportunity for positive interaction between police and Aboriginal youth.
"Our aim is to enhance communication and understanding between Police and Aboriginal People," Assistant Commissioner Barrie said.
"What we really want to do is build and maintain positive relationships and improve the safety and wellbeing of young Aboriginal people, and youth in general, in a setting where they are comfortable and at ease."
The trailers are wrapped with artwork by Rachel Treacy, a proud Kija and Ngarinyin woman from the East Kimberley, Western Australia, and a member of the NSW Police Force Aboriginal Coordination Team. The eagle and circle represent Police and Aboriginal people meeting on common ground and working towards breaking down barriers and building a positive future.
The trailers will be located in the Illawarra, South Coast and Riverina, and will be deployed across the region as a shared resource for youth and community engagement activities by all Police Districts.
The region will also have capabilities to deploy the trailers into police districts across Southern Region for operational purposes. Each trailer is equipped with off-road motorcycles for use by specially trained officers.
"These operational purposes could include missing person searches, emergency exercises, rural crime investigations and patrolling major events," Assistant Commissioner Barrie said.
"Having a mobile police response increases our capability to rapidly respond to incidents that might be hard to get to by foot or patrol car."
The trailers will be deployed to their host police districts from today (Friday 21 June).
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Please direct media inquiries to NSW Police Force Southern Region Media Officer, Emilie Wells, on 0447490521 or [email protected]
