Services for Diverse Communities

The Queensland Police Service recognises that the Queensland community is rich in cultural diversity and has developed a number of initiatives designed to ensure equal access to policing services regardless of a person’s cultural, linguistic or religious background. If you are, or you know of, an older person within a culturally diverse community, this section may assist you.

Cultural Advisory Unit

The mission of the Cultural Advisory Unit is to promote and maintain effective relationships between members of the Queensland Police Service and culturally specific communities. These relationships are based on open communication, mutual understanding, respect, tolerance and trust.

The key objectives of the unit are to:

• ensure Queensland Police Service policies and programs are culturally appropriate and equitable;
• provide advice and support to the Commissioner of Police and Senior Executive Officers on matters relating to ethnic and indigenous policing issues;
• identify and provide advice on trends and emerging issues of concern to police in culturally specific communities; and
• provide ongoing support to operational police and other Queensland Police Service personnel.

To contact the staff at the Cultural Advisory Unit, call (07) 3364 3934 or visit the Queensland Police Service Cultural Advisory Unit website at: www.police.qld.gov.au/programs/community/culturaladvisory

Cross Cultural Liaison Officers

Cross Cultural Liaison Officers are sworn police officers and are deployed in each police region. Their role is to improve relations between the Queensland Police Service and culturally specific communities, to assist police officers in understanding the issues affecting culturally specific communities and to further the aims of the Queensland Police Service.

In part, the role addresses potential problems and difficulties before they escalate. By encouraging communities to contact police, issues and concerns are more readily resolved. This is being achieved through:

• coordinating and supporting the operations of Police Liaison Officers;
• providing guidance to police officers on culturally specific issues;
• identifying special projects relevant to culturally specific communities;
• improving communication and understanding between police and culturally specific communities;
• identifying issues affecting the Queensland Police Service and culturally specific communities;
• developing appropriate ways of addressing these issues; and
• contributing to Queensland Police Service policy.

Contact with Cross Cultural Liaison Officers can be made via your local regional headquarters, through the Cultural Advisory Unit on (07) 3364 3934 or by visiting the Queensland Police Service Cross Cultural Liaison Officers website at: www.police.qld.gov.au/programs/community/culturaladvisory/cclo.htm

Police Liaison Officers

Police Liaison Officers are employed by the Queensland Police Service to establish and maintain a rapport between culturally specific communities and the Queensland Police Service. The role of Police Liaison Officers is to promote trust and understanding through their liaison role by assisting the community and police to:

• reduce and prevent crime;
• divert people from the criminal justice system;
• advise and educate police officers on culture and cultural issues; and
• improve community knowledge of law and order issues and policing services.

The specialist ‘liaison role’ performed by Police Liaison Officers does not require the powers of police officers to carry out their activities.

Police Liaison Officer activities assist the Queensland Police Service to be more effective by improving client services, preventing or reducing crime and maintaining community partnerships.

General enquiries relating to Police Liaison Officers should be referred to local police stations. For further information on the Police Liaison Officer Scheme contact the Cultural Advisory Unit on (07) 3364 3934 or visit the Queensland Police Service Police Liaison Officer website at: www.police.qld.gov.au/join/plo/default.htm

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Community

The Queensland Police Liaison to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) communities provides a professional, non-discriminatory, accessible policing service.

This goal is achieved by:

• developing an awareness and understanding of LGBTI communities;
• developing partnerships with LGBTI communities;
• ensuring equality, accountability and professionalism in our contact with LGBTI communities; and
• improving service delivery to LGBTI communities.

To support this goal, a network of LGBTI Liaison Officers is available around the State to assist with all LGBTI  enquiries. Contact details for LGBTI Liaison Officers can be obtained from your local police station or by visiting the Queensland Police Service LGBTI website at: www.police.qld.gov.au/programs/community/lgbti/default.htm