Police remind the community they are here to help
ACT Policing will once again have a presence at this years’ National Multicultural Festival in the City, in both an operational and community engagement capacity, bringing with them a clear message for everyone in the community - police are here to help.
Officer in Charge of Emergency Management/Visits and Major Events, Station Sergeant Pedro Martinez said the event is another opportunity for police to work with Canberra’s diverse community to foster positive relationships and trust in police.
“The ACT is an incredibly diverse community, and unfortunately some people can have, for whatever reason, negative perceptions of police,” Station Sergeant Martinez said.
“Our community engagement at the festival aims to challenge and change those perceptions, build positive relationships and remind the public that police are friendly and accessible.
“It is important for police to facilitate real conversations, and to send a clear message to everyone in the community that police are here to help.”
A focus of this years’ event will be further educating Canberrans on how and when to best contact police.
“We’ll be reinforcing and educating the public about calling Triple Zero in an emergency or life-threatening situation, Police Assistance on 131 444 to report a crime, and Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 to report information,” Station Sergeant Martinez said.
ACT Policing will have a fun interactive display set up at this years’ festival, and is encouraging all visitors to drop in and say hello.
Constable Kenny Koala will be there to entertain the kids, while officers will be handing out free goodies including children’s sunglasses and a magnet with police numbers.
Visitors will have the opportunity to try on some tactical operations gear from the Specialist Response Group Operational Readiness team and have their photo taken on a Traffic Operations motorcycle.
Beyond the display, ACT Policing officers will have a large and visible presence at the festival to ensure everyone enjoys the event safely and responsibly.
Media enquiries
Police Media — (02) 6264 9460, act-police-media@afp.gov.au