A desire to find an extra point of call for the Aboriginal Community and Victoria Police led Senior Constable Paul Winfield to register and train as a Police Aboriginal Liaison Officer.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"I found a missing niche in the role I already had as a police officer and enrolled for the additional training to become a PALO," he said.
Overcoming some of the barriers between the Aboriginal Community and the Police is challenging, he said.
"Our uniform is a barrier, and we know that, so we can only make change through education and more publicity, and this will help us create a better understanding between the Aboriginal Community and the Police," he said.
"All Victorian Police receive cultural awareness training as part of their police training, but I wanted to take the next step," he said.
"There have been PALOs in the police force for many years, but there has been a stronger focus on it in recent years," he said.
Of the 100 police officers stationed in Horsham, 12 are PALOs.
Up to 50 percent of his daily work could be family violence related, some of which is in the Aboriginal Community, which has a complex makeup.
The additional skills learned as a PALO are an advantage when dealing with family violence in the Aboriginal community because of the broader definition of family.
"The Aboriginal Community believe it takes a village to raise a child, and so that widens the family unit and creates a bigger range of issues for understanding and action," he said.
Senior Constable Winfield said he has also had the opportunity to share what he has learned with fellow officers, creating greater awareness within the team.
He explained the training alone doesn't improve the relationship between the Aboriginal Community and the police, but putting it into practice can.
"Family violence occurs across all demographics. It is not limited to any one demographic or culture in our community," he said, "and it impacts all ages too."
Every culture can have different behaviors within their demographic, so the police officer dealing with family violence is governed by the Family Violence Act, which addresses and includes both the law and Aboriginal Culture," and that's what guides us in these situations," he said.
Senior Constable Paul Winfield was one of five Horsham Police Officers who attended the Horsham Sorry Day event.
Senior Constable Winfield was born and educated in Horsham and, with his fiancé and two daughters, has long-term plans to remain and advance his career at the Horsham Police Station.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
