2 minute read
Showing public a modern police
Editorial: Danielle Ford
Photography: Andrea Hince
After a seven-year break, Victoria Police will return to the Royal Melbourne Show in 2019, coming back bigger and better than ever with its own interactive exhibit.
Designed to give show-goers a hands on look at police capabilities and increase engagement with the public, the 378sq m activation space is the largest display Victoria Police has ever had at the event.
Deputy Commissioner Wendy Steendam said Victoria Police was excited to be back at the show and to be providing an opportunity for the community to engage with police and learn more about what life in uniform is like.
“We will have a whole range of policing capabilities on display across the 11 days,” DC Steendam said.
“It’s also a good chance for people to consider whether a career in policing is for them as we will have a recruitment display where people can talk to frontline officers about their experiences on the job.”
DC Wendy Steendam and State Highway Patrol officers Sen Const Sarah Edwards and Ldg Sen Const Paul Gosling get to know a fellow show attendee. State Highway Patrol will be bringing some of its vehicles along to the show for the public to take a closer look.
With a packed list of activities designed to entertain people of all ages, the Victoria Police exhibit will have both indoor and outdoor areas with different attractions rotating throughout the 11 days.
“There are great things for the kids to do, like be a detective for the day,” DC Steendam said.
“They can also do forensic activities and take fingerprints.
“We will have a water tank set up where people can watch our Search and Rescue Squad look for missing items.
“Our always popular canines and horses from the Dog Squad and Mounted Branch will be there for ‘pat and chat’.”
A range of specialised police vehicles, including boats, will also be on display for people to learn more about each vehicle, its purpose and how it is used.
DC Steendam said the display will also provide a great opportunity for police to meet and engage with the community they proudly serve each day.
“There will also be police officers from specialist areas within Victoria Police,” she said.
“This will give them a chance to meet the community face-to-face, something that some of these units aren’t able to do in their everyday roles.”
The Victoria Police exhibit will be open each day of the Royal Melbourne Show, which runs from 21 September to 1 October.
