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A year of achievements in the NSWPF Communities - Sexuality, Gender Diversity and Intersex portfolio

Message from the Corporate Sponsor, Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke APM:

The NSW Police Force is a diverse and inclusive organisation that proudly encourages and supports our LGBTIQ+ communities.

Police and LGBTIQ+ communities have shared at times a difficult past.  We should not forget that past.  In fact, it should shape our future, influencing the continued development of our relationship, continuing to build trust between Police and LGBTIQ+ communities today.

In recognising our history, the NSW Police Force continues its ongoing commitment to engage and work with LGBTIQ+ communities to ensure that we provide a safe environment for all.

The NSW Police Force will continue to celebrate differences, lead by example, be visibly supportive and inclusive of everyone.

Education and Training

• A total of 75 officers completed Gay Lesbian Liaison Officer (GLLO) training this year with courses held in Sydney, Goulburn and Newcastle – driving our commitment to have more LGBTIQ+ Liaison officers in regional NSW.
• Recruit presentations: We presented to three (3) classes at the Academy in Goulburn with community stakeholders including 78ers Sydney WorldPride 2023, The Gender Centre and a Doctor from Macquarie University. All students undertake mandatory LGBTIQ+ training.
• The NSW Government and NSW Police Force launched a new Hate Crimes Awareness campaign to help prevent hate crimes and incidents across the state. The videos cover gender and sexuality-based hate crime, religious based hate crime and race-based hate crime.

Events:

• Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
  In 2022, NSW Police Force Commissioner Karen Webb, led the marching contingent in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade, held at the Sydney Cricket Ground. This was the first time a Commissioner has marched, leading a contingent of 40 GLLO/ LGBTIQ+ Liaison Officers, allies and LGBTIQ+ staff.
• IDAHOBIT
  Held in May, Senior Constable Raad took part in the Out for Western Sydney IDAHOBIT Panel and networking event, answering questions from the community.
• Wear it Purple
  Held in August, NSWPF took part in over 40 community events across the state to raise awareness for inclusivity and show support for our rainbow youth.
• Transgender Awareness Week
  Held in November, began with our inaugural Transgender Flag raising event which was attended by Region Sponsors, Superintendents, GLLO/ LGBTIQ+ Liaison Officers and allies.
  The flag was raised every day for that week to remind us of the need to be inclusive and supportive of transgender people in the community and at work.

Our LGBTIQ+ Employee Network - Pride in Police:

The NSW Police Force LGBTIQ+ employee network hosted several events in 2022, including a meeting with guest speaker- Deputy Commissioner Neil Paterson from Victoria Police.

The network has over 60 members and is growing. The PRIDE in Police committee has also met twice already and planning is well underway for participation in Sydney WorldPride 2023 and Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

This committee works alongside the GLLO Advisory Committee which meets at least 4 times annually to provide advice and direction on the GLLO/ LGBTIQ+ program and related LGBTIQ+ portfolio issues.

LGBTIQ+ Stakeholder Forums:

In September 2022, NSWPF hosted the first Western Region GLLO/LGBTIQ+ Conference in Broken Hill. The conference held by three Assistant Commissioners, brought together LGBTIQ+ Liaisons, local Aboriginal and LGBTIQ+ leaders from across the western region, to discuss the role of the LGBTIQ Liaison role and improving relationships and services for the communities they proudly serve.

Two community forums were conducted this year.  These meetings continue to provide a valuable method of consultation and feedback for the NSWPF LGBTIQ portfolio.

Policy:

• Strategy on Sexuality, Gender Diversity and Intersex
  Through consultation with members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual and other sexually or gender diverse (LGBTIQ+) communities across NSW, the NSW Police Force developed a strategy on Sexuality, Gender Diversity and Intersex, continuing its commitment to working in partnership with the community. Read our policy here (PDF)
• Transgender and Gender Diverse Employees Policy
  In 2019, the NSW Police Force released its first ‘Transgender and Gender Diverse Employees Policy’ to support the growing number of staff and new employees identifying as gender diverse or transgender.

This policy addresses key health issues and priorities identified by transgender and gender diverse people across the state, including up to two weeks leave, in addition to standard leave entitlements, to support both them and their workplace through their transition.

Accompanying this policy are comprehensive management guides that are provided to Commands to support employees and teams throughout the process.

The NSW Police Force is a member of Pride in Diversity – a non-profit employer support organisation assisting a range of corporate and government agencies to become more inclusive and supportive of LGBTIQ+ staff.

Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/policeglbti

• Beats Policy
  NSWPF has reviewed this policy and updated the historical context to provide more meaningful background which will assist police in managing these locations. The intent of the policy remains ensuring the safety and security of all users of these public locations. The policy is now located under ‘B’ for Beats in the Police Handbook.
• Person Search Policy
  The policy has been updated to reflect the necessary considerations for Transgender and non-binary persons. This was developed in consultation with Transgender and non-binary employees and community stakeholders.

Welcome Here Project

The NSWPF continues to be a member of ACON’s Welcome Here Project, promoting our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive space for LGBTIQ+ people in hundreds of stations across the state.

Guest Speaking and Conference Presentations

From 31 January to Friday 3 February 2023, sixteen (16) GLLO/ LGBTIQ+ Liaison Officers travelled to Melbourne, Victoria, to participate in the 3^rd World LGBTIQ+ conference for Criminal Justice Professionals.

Held for the first time in Australia, the conference brought police, academics and LGBTIQ+ community members together from around the world to discuss challenges, solutions, and worldwide initiatives that provide the best programs, response, and services to the LGBTIQ+ communities.

One of our very own LGBTIQ+ Liaison Officers speaking on the significance of growth in diversity within the NSWPF.

NSW Parliamentary Inquiry on Gay and Transgender Hate Crimes

The Inquiry is tasked with reviewing the manner and cause of death in all unsolved suspected sexuality-based hate crime deaths in New South Wales between 1970 and 2010, where the victim was a member of the LGBTIQ+ communities, and the death was the subject of a previous investigation by the NSW Police Force.

The inquiry remains ongoing.

Strike Force Parrabell was established in 2015 to review 88 deaths that occurred between 1976 and 2000, which were highlighted by researchers as having potential gay-hate bias motivation, or connection with the Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, Bisexual, Intersex, and Queer (LGBTIQ+) communities.

The strike force operated under the command of the former Corporate Sponsor for Sexuality, Gender Diversity, and Intersex, Deputy Commissioner Tony Crandell, and included nine specialist investigators, which included LGBTIQ+ Liaison Officers.

The review was also supported by the Homicide Squad’s Unsolved Homicide Unit.

Following three-years of extensive reviews, the findings of Strike Force Parrabell and the independent academic review was released in a Final Report in June 2018.

The Final Report consisted of 88 cases and determined that 27 cases were gay-hate bias crimes (eight (8) confirmed and nineteen (19) suspected). At that time, five remained unsolved. In addition, a series of recommendations for the NSW Police Force, which aim to continually strengthen its relationship with the LGBTIQ+ communities were also made.

GLLO / LGBTIQ+ Liaison Officers and Region Advocates, Communities

There are currently six (6) Region Advocates and over 300 operational LGBTIQ+ Liaison Officer’s across the state.

LGBTIQ+ Liaison Officers, who are identifiable through a distinctive triangle badge worn on their uniform, work to build trust and confidence between the NSWPF and their local and broader LGBTIQ+ communities.

They receive specialist training, curated in consultation with external community stakeholders. They are provided tools and resources that enable them to identify current and historical issues, challenges and sensitivities experienced by members of the LGBTIQ+ community, especially when engaging with police.

LGBTIQ+ Liaison Officer’s undertake a range of duties including education within commands, community engagement, monitoring LGBTIQ+ related events, and assist investigators in LGBTIQ+ related prejudice motivated crime, domestic violence, and criminal matters.

Another aspect of their role is to champion LGBTIQ+ inclusion at work and provide support to LGBTIQ+ staff.

If a LGBTIQ+ Liaison Officer is unavailable, please do not wait to report crime, report it immediately to your local police and a request of follow up support or referral from a LGBTIQ+ Liaison Officer can be made.

NSW Police Force apologises to the ‘78ers

In 2016, a formal apology was delivered to the ‘78ers’ by former Corporate Sponsor for Sexuality, Gender Diversity and Intersex, Deputy Commissioner Tony Crandell.

The apology acknowledged the pain and hurt caused by police actions during the first Mardi Gras in 1978.

Read the apology here (PDF)

Former Corporate Sponsor for Gender, Sexuality diversity and Intersex Assistant Commissioner Gelina Talbot took as walk down Sydney's Oxford Street with ‘78er Peter Murphy to chat about the importance of Mardi Gras and the role police can play today.

Community Safety Tips

The New South Wales Police Force treats all reports of hate motivated crime seriously and encourages all members of the LGBTIQ+ and broader community to report any incidents.

Hate crimes are motived by prejudice on the basis of race, sexual orientation, religion and often involve violence.

During periods of high visibility of the LGBTIQ+ communities, there is the potential for an increased risk of abuse and even violence.

Be sure to report any anti-social and violent behaviours to the police immediately or as soon as you possibly can.

Harm to the victim and the community

Hate crimes not only harm an individual but their community and society as a whole. It does not matter how big or small a crime may be perceived; it has the capability to significantly alter someone’s life.

Homophobic or transphobic hate crimes can be one of the most traumatic experiences in a person’s life, as they are often victimised for characteristics which are intrinsic and unchangeable, and the repercussions of the crime can be felt throughout the entire community.

If you see something, say something – make sure you report the incident to police.

Reporting the Crime

LGBTIQ+ hate crimes are under reported. It is not uncommon for a victim of this type of crime to not report the matter to police and there are a variety of reasons for this, including:

• Fear of reprisals,
• Mistrust of police,
• Fear of being "outed" as a result of participating in the court process, and/or
• The perception that the incident is not serious enough to report to police.

To assist all officers to understand the challenges and expectations of LGBTIQ+ communities the NSWPF has a network of LGBTIQ+ Liaison Officers across the state.  LGBTIQ+ Liaison Officers are also active in their local communities to ensure open communication and exchange of information for the benefit of the local community.  Over time these relationships should lead to improved confidence by LGBTIQ+ communities in the police. This in turn should lead to improved rates of reporting of crime and violence.

• Hindu Video
• Simplified Chinese Video
• Traditional Chinese Video
• Vietnamese Video
• Arabic Video

To assist all officers to understand the challenges and expectations of LGBTIQ+ communities the NSWPF has a network of LGBTIQ+ Liaison Officers across the state.  LGBTIQ+ Liaison Officers are also active in their local communities to ensure open communication and exchange of information for the benefit of the local community.  Over time these relationships should lead to improved confidence by LGBTIQ+ communities in the police. This in turn should lead to improved rates of reporting of crime and violence.

Sexual Assault Reporting Option

If you have been a victim of an assault – physical, sexual, verbal – there are services available. Police officers can come to you and assess any urgent safety and medical needs. In an emergency, please call Triple Zero (000).

Please be aware you can report your sexual assault to police even if you do not want an investigation started. It simply provides a record of what happened, which can be used if you change your mind later.

See more options and support here: https://portal.police.nsw.gov.au/adultsexualassault

In NSW, we have affirmative consent laws. This means people in NSW are required to give and obtain consent before they engage in a sexual act.

Sexual consent is when people freely and voluntarily agree to engage in sexual activity, including kissing, touching and oral sex. It’s about making sure everyone is comfortable with what’s happening and freely choosing to say yes.

Find out more here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/family-and-relationships/make-no-doubt

Further resources are available here:

• English PDF
• Arabic PDF
• Hindu PDF
• Simplified Chinese PDF
• Spanish PDF
• Thai PDF
• Vietnamese PDF