POLICE SHOULDN’T BLAME ETHNIC COMMUNITIES

The NSW police should get on with recruiting police from an ethnic background instead of blaming ethnic communities for the declining number of ethnic police said Fairfield Councillor Thang Ngo.

Senior police claim "uniformed perceptions" among ethnic communities for the lack of ethnic recruits, in effect putting the blame on the community, said Cr Ngo.

"When I first came to Fairfield Council, one of the greatest gripes of the community with the police is the practice of strip searching alleged offenders on the main street of Cabramatta" said Cr Ngo

"This humiliates not just the alleged criminal, but publicly shames the whole community.

"The police must remember ‘uninformed perceptions’ is a two way street.

"If the police wanted ethnic recruits why was the last ethnic campaign conducted in 1997, four years ago?"

The number of police from an ethnic background has been falling and there are now only 268 ethnic officers in the NSW police force of 13,500 according to the latest police annual report.

"In Cabramatta no police speak Vietnamese and Chinese" said Cr Ngo.

"I’m glad the police have finally listened to my advice and this new campaign will go some way to improve police and community relations.

"As the premier has said in relation to policing, everyone, and I take it to also include the police, should end the ‘blame game’ and get on with the job".