NORTH-WEST: Police training questioned
Northern Metropolitan MLC Anasina Gray-Barberio (pictured) has publicly questioned if local frontline police have received anti-racism and cross-cultural training.
“My question is for the Minister for Police ]Anthony Carbiones] in the other house,” Ms Gray-Barberio told the Legislative Assembly.
“On April 17 of this year Victoria Police officers fatally shot Abdifatah Ahmed, a 35-year-old Somali-born refugee, while he was homeless and experiencing mental health issues.
“His death has raised serious concerns about the aggressive style of policing and racial profiling of the African diaspora and marginalised communities.
“Victoria Police’s Indigenous inclusion action plan reveals 37 per cent of police employees have completed Aboriginal cultural awareness training.
“If two-thirds of the force have not completed the most prominent cultural program,
what hope is there for cross-cultural understanding across other communities?
“Minister, can you please confirm whether anti-racism and cross-cultural training is mandatory for frontline Victoria Police officers and whether accountability mechanisms are in place to ensure equitable treatment of individuals, regardless of race and ethnicity?
“In the aftermath of Abdifatah’s death, Minister, it is clear we still have a way to go police institutions. African community leaders have been calling for a co-designed, African specific cultural program to improve engagement with Victoria Police and address systemic racism.
“Given the clear failures in cultural competency and repeated incidents of racialised profiling, will the minister commit to funding this program?”
Colleague Enver Erdogan said: “I thank Ms Gray-Barberio for raising this important issue of public interest, and I express my deepest sympathies to everyone.
“It is obviously a very traumatic incident, and especially in the inner west it has affected many people. “I have had a lot of correspondence on this issue. I will make sure that question is passed on to the police minister for a response in line with the standing orders.
“I will add, though, because you raised the issue of the African Australian community, that the Department of Justice does have strong relationships with members of the African community.
“I know in my portfolio we have done a lot of work with the South Sudanese community in particular; we have got a working group.
“I spoke to Dr Deng, met with him last week, and we talked about some of these issues. It is something that as a government we are committed to making improvements in across the justice system,” Mr Erdogan said.