EXCLUSIVE: Your chance to join WA Police and help community
EXCLUSIVE
By PETER ROWE
Western Australia Police are actively encouraging local regional Indigenous applicants to apply for roles as Police Auxiliary Officers – or more commonly known as Community Liaison Officers.
The positions are for four-year fixed term opportunities, for suitably qualified people to build links with local Aboriginal communities to support frontline policing.
Working in non-confrontational roles alongside police, dressed more in line with community, the aim is to build trust and relationships with Indigenous communities, families and individuals.
And the drive is being guided by WA’s Australian of the Year Mechelle Turvey, who spoke exclusively to ibnews.com.au about the roles.
“It’s very important to have more Aboriginal staff,” Ms Turvey said.
“Leading the way in building connections – Mob looking after Mob.”
Many in regional and remote communities do not understand – or trust – the role of the police.
There are language barriers and engagement issues, often because of past issues and generational trauma, but WA Police are determined to work with communities to overcome those often long-standing problems.
“It’s a different approach,” Ms Turvey, who is Assistant Director in the Community Liaison and Aboriginal Affairs Division.
“The program has been around for 10 years but we are now working to build better liaison and a real program of support.
“Frontline policing is challenging, there’s no doubt about that. The CLO’s (Community Liaison Officers) can work with youngsters and with elders to forge relationships, with education and with, importantly ‘yarning’.
“A CLO is not ‘frontline’ but will work with officers to create better opportunities for everyone.”
After a three-week induction and training program at the Police Academy in Joondalup, north of Perth CBD, new officers will be ready to go out into the field and work alongside police.
Interviews are planned for November for positions in Derby and Halls Creek in the Pilbara and more positions are planned in other areas, including in Perth itself.
“We have 20 positions at the moment to fill and we are looking for funding for 20 more,” Ms Turvey said.
Pay and conditions are good – a uniform to identify who they are and a generous salary up to about $89,000 per annum is on offer to the right candidates.
Based at police stations in regional communities CLO’s will play a crucial role in bringing communities together.
“It’s very hard putting blue life and black life together,” Ms Turvey conceded.
“But it is something WA Police is committed to.
“People who understand country and language, who help frontline officers better understand that. Walking side by side, men and women, acting sometimes as mentors in the community.”
It is certainly a challenge, but one WA Police are not shirking any from and one they want to genuinely see success from.
For more information on the CLO role and working with WA Police, go to:
https://search.jobs.wa.gov.au/page.php?pageID=160&windowUID=0&AdvertID=360803