Dimensiones de la calidad de vida

Participants were asked: What is the best way for police to develop a good relationship with young people in your local neighbourhood? About 50% emphasized police communication with and behaviour and attitude toward young people as the most significant elements in developing good relationships between young people and the police in their local area.

The largest single group of responses was the 20% of young people who said they saw improved communication strategies and pathways between police and young people as the most important element in developing better relationships at the local level. 15% of young people believed that police being friendlier toward and more approachable by young people was the best way to strengthen the relationship between young people and the police. Another 15% felt that improvements in police attitudes and behaviour toward young people – particularly in relation to police being more polite and less disrespectful when dealing with people in this age group – were key elements in creating better relationships. 8% of young people stressed a more caring, understanding and supportive attitude by police toward young people as crucial to creating better relationships at the local level. Beyond young people’s central focus on communication and attitudinal issues in their perception of how police can best improve their relationships with young people in the local area, a number of other key elements emerged across these responses. 10% saw educational activities as the best way to improve the relationship between young people and the police in their area. They defined ‘educational activities’ very broadly, including both formal and informal school visits and programs, community educational activities, learning more about what the police do, and having the opportunity to teach police something about young people. Some of the suggestions and comments around educational activities and engagement between young people and the police included. 7% saw social activities and local community involvement between police and young people as the best way to forge good relationships in the local community, many of which fall under the banner of pro-active community policing. These comments also align well with those of CALDB young people in the focus groups below (Chapter 6), who emphasise the importance of having strong community-based relationships with individual police officers such as the connections between individual police and local youth promoted by the Surfer Bus initiative in Brimbank.

Table 62: Strategies suggested by young people to assist the police to develop good relationships with young people in the local neighbourhood

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY FOR POLICE TO DEVELOP A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUNG PEOPLE IN YOUR LOCAL NEIGHBOURHOOD?

Improved communication between police and young people

The best way for police to develop a good relationship with young people is to talk to them.

To let young people know that the police are not being unfair, just trying to make the streets a safer place for the community.

Talk to us normally and nice, not with an attitude that makes us think they’re suss.

To have a meeting night where we get to voice our issues and worries. If they stop picking on us and have a normal convo with us and show us they’re here to help, not to make our lives harder.

Young people feel very scared when they see police, the officers could just say hello to make them feel like there is nothing wrong.

Police being friendlier toward and more approachable by young people

Providing support in a comfortable manner where young people can be able to open up and speak freely.

By not getting all tensed up when police or kids see each other. Come down to [young people’s] level.

Encourage instead of trying to scare [young people] into things.

Not only having an authoritative demeanour but also one that makes people feel like [police] are friendly and approachable.

Police being more polite and less disrespectful

If they didn’t talk to us so bad.

Less aggressive towards the young people.

Not be so argumentative with teenagers when they get into trouble. Not to pinpoint people for their culture.

Reducing stereotyping and prejudices.

Police being more caring, understanding and supportive toward young people

See things from our point of view.

Try to understand what [young people’s] real issues are.

To tell [young people] that they are on their side and are there to help. To listen to [young people’s] ideas.

Educational activities Maybe taking on young students and things to show them the ropes, get them

involved in their work a little bit and maybe even start groups who can speak to [young people], help them and provide support groups for struggling kids. Approach [young people] in schools and talk about their job to stop stereotypical ideas about [the police].

By making [police] aware of the problems that we face and to make us aware that [police] are on our side by making programs with our schools and communities.

Have days for people to come in and ask questions and meet with their local police.

Having them attend our school and making us comfortable with them. Local gatherings and talks with police officers in and out of school. Maybe get us to do another survey like this.

Get feedback for [young people’s] perspective on certain issues relating to their age group.

Through a youth forum where youth can converse with police and bring up their safety fears and work on a way to resolve these.

Social activities and local community involvement

Mix and doing [things] together, like cooking, dancing, story-telling, acting, learning other cultures and religion, etc.

Get involved in social activities that young people are involved in.

To have a local community fun place where all the police are there [for young people] to be friends with and ask questions.

By being involved in what they do, getting to know the local kids by perhaps going to local places, sports clubs, schools and hanging out with the kids. Create a day where they are in the community to talk to youth and to reassure [them] they are safe.

Gain [young people’s] trust by going into their schools and youth centres and be friendly with them.

In the responses here, the desire of young people to relate to the police as listeners, helpers and problem solvers; educators and advisers; and service providers emerges most strongly in their emphasis on seeing improved communication strategies between young people and the police; a friendlier and more approachable police force in the local community; better attitudes toward and treatment of young people by the police, and a clear focus on reciprocal educational and community activities in which the police and young people come together to learn from each other for the purpose of better mutual understanding.