South Coast Police have launched an innovative program offering support for Indigenous people in custody or victims of crime.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The first group of volunteers have been trained to take part in the Aboriginal Custody and Victims Support Group.
Officer in charge of Nowra Police Station, Inspector Ray Stynes said the group has been six months in the making and is a first for the South Coast.
"Members of the Aboriginal community volunteer their time to come into the police station if required when we have an Aboriginal person in custody or an Aboriginal victim that needs some support," Insp Stynes said.
"Aboriginal people are vulnerable people and we offer them support services while they are in custody.
"If they take that support, this group is one of the avenues we can go down to ensure they get the support at the time of their arrest or when they are in custody."
The program is part of NSW Police's Aboriginal Strategic Direction Format.
Read more:
The program's implementation at Nowra is a first for the South Coast.
"We've had an informal process in place previously but this formalises it," Insp Stynes said "so we can get it up and running and involve the community with their support."
He said it had taken six months to get the program underway since the idea was first mooted in the community.
"There's been lots of consultation with the community, not just the local Nowra community but with the Wreck Bay community as well," he said.
"There are a number of specific groups involved like the Djuin Men's Group, the Cullunghutti Women's Group, Aboriginal Community Justice Group and Wellways.
"We are asking other members of the community who see this and want be involved, to get in touch. By all means they can contact me here at the Nowra Station.
"We will be quite happy to run further training and put more people into the program. It makes a bigger pool of volunteers.
"If someone comes into custody, we ask if they want a support person - we ask if they want to nominate their own support person. If they don't want to nominate or can't nominate someone, or we can't get in touch with that specific person, we then offer them one of these volunteers to act as a support.
"It's all community based - from the local community, the Nowra local community, the Bay and Basin community.
"It's a first for the coast and I'm proud to see it up and running here in Nowra.
I'm proud we have six valuable volunteers from the community to come in and give up their time, not just for training but for the whole program to work, it's based on volunteers.
- Officer in charge of Nowra Police Station, Inspector Ray Stynes
"It's not just the fact we got the program up and running but I'm proud we have six valuable volunteers from the community to come in and give up their time, not just for training but for the whole program to work, it's based on volunteers.
"They've put their hands up to say 'I'll volunteer my time, my effort and help my community with breaking down barriers with police'.
"It's not just helping police, it's helping the community and that's what we want, communities helping each other."
He said the program was aimed at both adults and children.
"These volunteers have given up their time not for their own kids or communities but other kids as well and generations to come," Insp Stynes said.
"Our aim is to keep people out of custody and if we can use these volunteers to help with that we'll have achieved something good."
It's not just helping police, it's helping the community and that's what we want, communities helping each other.
- Officer in charge of Nowra Police Station, Inspector Ray Stynes
Volunteer Kath Musico said the program was a great initiative.
"It's a brilliant idea. We need to take responsibility of our own community," she said.
"Police can only do so much. If this prevents more young people being locked up let's all get behind it and enforce this. We could change the path of some young people."
She said during training the volunteers learnt about the Young Offenders Act and what their roles would be within the program.
"We're not there to give legal advice or not there to sway anything," she said.
It's a brilliant idea. We need to take responsibility of our own community, Police can only do so much. If this prevents more young people being locked up let's all get behind it and enforce this. We could change the path of some young people.
- Volunteer Kath Musico
"We are there to support a young person, an elder, any Indigenous person that's been locked up or is a victim.
"It doesn't matter if they are a perpetrator or a victim, we are just there to let them know that they have got support
"Hopefully it will prevent more charges being laid. If they are calm, talking to an Aunt or Unc it will make their process a little bit easier as well.
"And we will try and break down the barriers between the police force and the community.
"We need the police and we also need our community.
"Less charges, less people in lock up will make Nowra a better place."
Less charges, less people in lock up will make Nowra a better place.
- Volunteer Kath Musico
She encouraged others to get involved in the program.
"I work in Nowra but I'm not part of the community, I live in Wollongong," she said.
"I work here 45 plus hours a week. My kids are part of this community and I would come down to support anyone from this community.
"We need more positive people to come here. It doesn't matter if they've had a past, in fact they are usually the best people because they know more about what's going on and are a bit more savvy.
"I can't see anything negative about this program and it's something the community should get behind."