Police placement … Mandeep Singh with Constable Shane Stevens 34502
By Charlene Gatt
MANDEEP Singh is the first to tell you that recent attacks against Indian students aren’t racist.
“It’s not racism – it’s just violence. They (offenders) can attack anyone.
“We should mix with other communities and not be with our Indian friends only.”
And he would know.
Mr Singh, 19, has been living in a St Albans sharehouse with friends on a student visa for the past year while he completes a Community Welfare course at KAPS Institute.
Although his family in Haryana, India, are concerned about the incessant media reports about alleged hate-race crimes in Melbourne’s West, Mr Singh said he had found Australia new and interesting.
“It’s a very good country, I’m enjoying life here,” he said.
So much so he has signed up to do a 200-hour work placement at Footscray police station and is helping officers combat attacks against Indian students.
Mr Singh applied for the placement after a chance meeting with Commander Trevor Carter, who heads the Police Indian Western Reference Group.
“I gave my opinion on things to improve the situation and he told me about the community work,” he said.
Mr Singh started the placement last week and has been on patrols with uniform officers and has done work with the Traffic Management Unit and the Embona Taskforce.
Mr Singh hopes to do a degree in criminology once his course is over and become a police officer.
He said fellow Indian students had been surprised to come to the station and see him manning the police front desk.
