At your fingertips If you’ve visited the Victoria Police website recently, you might have noticed it looks a bit different. The redesigned police.vic.gov.au website has been revamped, with a focus on making it easier for visitors to find what they’re looking for. Underneath the new facade it also has several new accessibility features, introduced to make it easier for visitors to quickly access vital information. Media and Corporate Communications Department Executive Director Merita Tabain said with more and more people accessing the internet through mobile devices, such as phones and tablets, mobile optimisation was important for the new website. “Research showed that more than half the traffic to the Victoria Police website was from a mobile device,” Ms Tabain said. “Making sure the new site was compatible with mobile phones and tablets was vital.” Another main focus of the redesign was ensuring it was user-friendly for all, with several accessibility features introduced including language translation. 30
POLICE LIFE | WINTER 2019
“Victoria Police serves a multicultural demographic, so it makes sense to have information not only available in English, but in other languages as well,” Ms Tabain said. “The new site translates the text into 80 languages currently, and that number will continue to grow.” Ms Tabain said the updated website also had colour contrast features, making it easier for people with different visual conditions to read. “Most people visiting the Victoria Police site are doing so for a specific reason, whether they’re looking for their local police station, safety information or news, so it’s important the website is easy to navigate for everyone,” she said. Senior Constable Johnny Tran, a Victoria Police multicultural liaison officer, said having police information available in so many languages helped people feel safer and more engaged with police.
“It’s going to have a really great impact on a lot of migrants out there,” Sen Const Tran said. “If we are able to take away any barriers, we can become more approachable and accessible. “It also shows that Victoria Police is trying to reflect the community it serves and it tells people that it doesn’t matter where you are from, we still value you and want to protect you.”
Images Keeping in touch The new Victoria Police website is easier to navigate and accessible to all users. Editorial: Danielle Ford Photography: John Pallot
Find out more information visit police.vic.gov.au
