PUBLIC advocate Neil Thornton wanted Victoria Police to know how much Ararat Senior Sergeant Damian Ferrari and his team looked after him, often up to nine times each week.
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Mr Thornton, an Independent Third Person, would be called from his home in Stawell to support people with intellectual disabilities or youth in any dealings with the justice process – at any time of day.
For a while, it was just Mr Thornton acting for the region after advocate numbers dwindled, so Senior Sergeant Ferrari actively led a recruiting process to make sure there were more people skilled and ready to help.
Victoria Police officially honoured the Ararat station with a state public advocate’s award in an event at the World Trade Centre in Melbourne. Mr Thornton nominated the station for its work, but also the care the station showed for him.
“They were concerned when I was the only one (ITP) and they looked after me,” he said.
“They even joked they would build me an apartment on top of the station to save me the 60-kilometre round-trip.”
The ITP network is critical to ensure all those with an intellectual disability, or under-age, were supported in any contact they had with police.
