The NSW Police Force produces a range of policy documents that impact on how police officers work with a range of communities on specific and general issues. These policies and guidelines are designed to raise community awareness of policing functions and accountabilities as well as to build the skills of police officers to understand and apply appropriate responses to community needs around crime prevention, reduction and safety. It is therefore important that community views and needs inform the content of such policies, where appropriate.

There are a number of strategies in place to ensure that this happens, including:

Tailored consultations with service providers and communities: Both as routine practice and in response to emerging issues and/or specific policy projects, the NSW Police Force will design consultations with communities to ensure they have the opportunity to influence NSW Police Force responses. Most of the corporate policies and operational guidelines that focus on specific community groups are developed by Operational Programs. The processes for developing these include identified and targeted consultation strategies to make sure those stakeholders who are affected by the policies and guidelines inform their content as far as practicable.

Corporate advisory Councils: A number of standing advisory Councils have been established to ensure that community views and emerging issues feed directly into systemic policy and operational planning. These include the Police and Aboriginal Strategic Advisory Council, Commissioner's Advisory Council on Culturally Responsive Policing and the NSW Police Force Disability Advisory Council.

Local advisory councils, inter-agencies and forums: Police Area Commands and Police Districts host and/or participate in a variety of local forums that allow them to hear community views and needs and factor them into local operational planning. These include Community Safety Precinct Committees, Local Area Command Aboriginal Consultative Committees and other forums especially established to address specific community concerns. They also participate in inter-agency forums designed to exchange information about emerging issues and good practice such as the Community Relations Commission Regional Advisory Councils. Communities have access to these forums where their views and needs regarding police responsiveness can be raised and considered by the NSW Police Force.

Participation in NSW Police Force policy development: Members of the public can contact the Customer Assistance Unit on 1800 622 571 or by email to customerassistance@police.nsw.gov.au to raise issues that are then referred to relevant business units for consideration in the formulation of policy and programs responses to communities and operational practice. Comments may also be submitted by post addressed to:

The Commissioner of Police,
Police Headquarters,
Locked Bag 5102,
Parramatta NSW 2124