83964 Picture: JOE MASTROIANNI
By XAVIER SMERDON
POLICE and residents from refugee backgrounds joined forces last week when a recruiting session was held in Werribee.
The Wyndham Community and Education Centre in partnership with the New Hope Foundation and Victoria Police conducted a police recruiting session last Wednesday.
Almost 60 residents from the Karen community, which is comprised of people born on the Thai and Burmese border, attended the session which was set up especially to target them.
Both sworn and unsworn police officers spoke to residents to give them insight on what it takes to become a member of the force.
Wyndham Community and Education Settlement Coordinator Craig Spicer said the day was an opportunity for the residents to ask questions of experienced police members.
“I hope the session will encourage persons from the Burmese background to consider a career with Victoria Police,” Mr Spicer said.
“Some of the people that have attended are very young so the idea is to get them prepared over the next five years for joining the police force.”
Hoppers Crossing resident Per Kaw attended the event and said it had answered lots of the questions he had.
“Now I think that I would like to become a police officer,” Mr Kaw said.
“One of the difficulties for people in our community is the language barrier.”
Mr Spicer said the Wyndham Community and Education Centre regularly held events to teach people from refugee backgrounds about settlement issues, such as using public transport.
