2 minute read
Games for good
Editorial and photography: Jesse Wray-McCann
In a day full of fun and smiles, police have created closer connections with the different cultures of the Tarneit community.
The Tarneit Community Games, held for the first time in October, brought together members of the various culturally and linguistic diverse (CALD) communities that call the suburb and the surrounding Wyndham area home.
The activity-packed event in Melbourne’s outer west was put on by officers from Wyndham North Police Station, Tarneit Neighbourhood Watch and Wyndham City Council.
The people of Wyndham come from 120 different countries and speak at least 52 different languages and dialects, and Senior Sergeant Steve Hayes said it was important for police to connect with everyone.
Const Kelly Wilcox lends a hand in the tug of war competition.
“Being such a culturally-diverse community, we want people to have positive engagement with police to see that we are approachable,” Sen Sgt Hayes said.
“It has been apparent to us that there are barriers in some of our local CALD communities in approaching police, due to the attitudes towards police in the countries they are originally from.”
The egg and spoon race provided plenty of laughs
The Tarneit Community Games is one of the latest ways the police have reached out to those communities.
“It was a great day and we all had a lot of fun,” Sen Sgt Hayes said.
The Tarneit Community Games was a fun day out for both children and police
“If we engage with them at a young age then their attitudes as they go through their teenage years will be more positive.”
Sen Sgt Hayes said connecting with the fastgrowing Indian community had been one of the great successes of the station in recent years.
“Through the Neighbourhood Watch group, we’ve done some great crime prevention presentations for the local Indian religious communities,” he said.
Sen Sgt Steve Hayes presented medals to the day’s winners.
“In 2020, we will be looking to do forums with our local African communities, our local Indian community and then one with the women of our community as well.”
Working hand-in-hand with CALD communities is one of the big aims of Wyndham North Police Station.
“In the work we do, we can’t win the game all by ourselves, so we need community support,” Sen Sgt Hayes said.
“We are big believers that our legitimacy comes from the community, so we need to have them onside to support us.
“It’s really great to have them working alongside us.”
The Tarneit Community Games was the latest event put on by Wyndham North Police Station to engage with the area’s different cultures and communities.
