By ALESHA CAPONE
A LAWYER conducting research into experiences young African-Australians have with police has said she believes positive steps taken by authorities have improved the situation.
Tallace Bissett is completing her PhD on the issue at the University of Melbourne.
Ms Bissett said most of the stories she hears about police interaction with African-Australian youths centred on Sunshine, Flemington and Dandenong communities.
She said statistics showed young African-Australians were under-represented in crime statistics but over-represented among people stopped in the streets by police.
The issue has been in the spotlight again recently, after Victoria Police released a report following a 2013 Federal Court case accusing officers of racially profiling and harassing a group of African-Australian males in Flemington.
Ms Bissett said this report was a step in the right direction because many youths want the situation to change.
“There are a lot of smart young people who say, ‘We are part of the solution, we are not part of the problem’,” she said.
“One theme is that it seems to be up to African communities to keep themselves out of trouble.
“But people say to me, ‘I am doing all these things and I still get stopped’.
“Particularly with people from an African background, they have sort-of been interested about the stuff we have discussed and have their own theories about why police selectively target young African people and the ways it could be improved.”
Victoria Police Leanne Sargent from the Priority Communities Division said a three-year action plan, aimed at improving how police engage with diverse communities, has been developed following extensive community consultation.
“It was encouraging to hear that there is a belief that Victoria Police community relationships have improved over time,” she said.
“We believe much progress has been made in the way that police engage with all members of the community.”
Ms Sargent said in the West, police have set up many projects aimed at improving community relationships, such as a Community Encounters program trial in Brimbank and in Melton where officers have met with Sudanese leaders.
Maribyrnong Police Inspector Tony Long said programs to help African-Australians find jobs, camps for disadvantaged youth and sports games were among the efforts happening in his municipality.
Anyone wishing to chat with Ms Bissett about this issue can contact Policing.Research@gmail.com.
