Violence against our community in the Oxford St area has been increasing and the Police response has been getting worse.

Craig Gee and Shane Brennen were assaulted and robbed on Crown St in December last year. The attack left Gee with a broken leg and reduced part of his skull to powder. The Police response was appalling, with Police initially discouraging the pair from making a statement and failing to take simple steps to investigate the incident despite the seriousness of the offence. Unfortunately, both the assault of Craig Gee and Shane Brennen and the Police response are all too common in our community.

Over the last twelve months the Lesbian and Gay Anti-Violence Project have worked extensively to address the problems with Surry Hills LAC. We have:

• trained more than 60 Police officers from the Surry Hills LAC on identifying and responding to homophobic violence

• worked with the City of Sydney to help develop the Oxford St Safety Strategy that committed the Police to conduct more high visibility policing on the Oxford St strip

• actively participated in the Police Accountability Teams (PACT) meetings, raising concerns about police practices that have been brought to us by GLBT community members.

• worked to improve police intelligence on homophobic violence by setting up systems for sharing reports made to the AVP with the Surry Hills  Command.

• advocated for increased resources for the GLLO program at Surry Hills including making representations to the Police Minister and Commissioner of Police.

Despite these efforts, like many members of the community we continue to have concerns about the Police response to homophobic violence. We share the feeling in the community that enough is enough.

We all know that improving police response is only one albeit important part of the solution to violence against our community. To be truly effective, strategies must be broad-ranging, and must include:

• addressing homophobia in schools and in the broader community before it manifests as violence,

• empowering ourselves and our community with personal strategies for avoiding violence

• making spaces like Oxford St safer for the GLBT community

• ensuring that the police and the Courts do their job adequately

• strategies to encourage reporting of homophobic violence data collection and research into homophobic violence.
• making sure appropriate support is readily available for victims of violence.

Past government efforts to address homophobic violence have often been short term and have focused on only one of a range of possible areas. Such an approach is bound to fail. We need to not only improve the Police response, but demand a systemic solution to homophobic violence.

Four things that you can do right now are:

1. Share your story about Surry Hills Police

 The Anti-Violence Project and ACON have begun collecting information for a submission to the Ombudsman to investigate and review the Surry Hills Police response to homophobic violence.

If you have had an experience with the Surry Hills Police that you think might help please contact the AVP by calling 02 9206 2116 or filling out this form and emailing it to avp@acon.org.au.

2. Write to the Commissioner of Police expressing your concerns.

Andrew Scipione

Commissioner of Police

Locked Bag 5102

Parramatta NSW 2124

Or visit www.police.nsw.gov.au/contact_us and send a message to the Commissioner's Office.

In your letter you might like to talk about:

• Details of any personal experiences you have had with Surry Hills police and whether they met your expectations

• Your feelings of safety in the Oxford St area

• The key problems at the moment to do with homophobic violence

• Suggestions for improving the Police response.

• View a template letter online at www.avp.acon.org.au

It is a good idea to ask for a response and to provide your mailing address.

3. Report Violence to the AVP

It is more important now than ever to report incidents of homophobic violence to the police and the AVP. Please report any incidents of homophobic violence, harassment or verbal abuse that you have either experienced or witnessed- no matter how small or how long ago.  

It is easy to report incidents to the AVP.

Phone:              02 9206 2066

SMS                   0416 955 155

Online:              www.avp.acon.org.au

In person:         At 60 Oxford St, Darlinghurst from 11pm – 5am Friday and Saturday nights.

 

4. Give us your ideas for broader strategies for preventing and addressing violence

The AVP is developing a strategy to demand a comprehensive response to homophobic violence from government. We want your ideas about what you think should be done across the following areas:

 

• Homophobia in schools

• Public Education

• Personal Prevention Strategies

• Environmental Prevention Strategies

• Police and Court Response

• Victim Support

• Reporting, Data Collection and Research

• Any other ideas

 Submit your ideas by email to avp@acon.org.au or drop into the Safe Place on Oxford St.