The Indigenous Community and Police Consultative Group (ICPCG) in North Brisbane is looking for volunteers who will continue to foster a stronger and more positive relationship with the Queensland Police Service (QPS).
Established for over 11 years, the ICPCG serves as a forum for community members to raise concerns or provide feedback and contribute to the improvement of the programs of the QPS. The group holds monthly meetings at PCYC Zillmere along 340 Zillmere Rd.
From 2019 to 2020, the ICPCG and the QPS held 25 meetings to talk about their perspectives, experiences and other important information on current events. With more volunteers, the Indigenous community and the elders will be appropriately represented and given a voice on certain issues that will help make North Brisbane a better society.
“We believe that open communication and understanding are the keys to achieve this goal,” the QPS stated.
Interested to volunteer? Phone the Boondall Police Station at 07 3364 337 for enquiries.
On 12 June 2019, officers from Boondall Station visited students of Aspley Special School, to answer questions and provide gifts, courtesy of U4K.
Members of Crime Prevention Unit and the Road Policing Command were, as Sgt Jodie Murray puts it, “armed and ready to face the serious and prolonged questioning” from the students:
Introduce yourself by your name and the duties you do as a police officer;
How did you make a decision to become a police officer;
Explain the uniform and the gear you carry;
The role of the police officers in the community;
How police support young people in the community (cyber safety, personal safety, cyberbullying).
“The students were then given some beautiful homemade clothing, bag and beanies made the lovely Uniforms 4 Kids (U4K) volunteer sewers from North Brisbane, Maria & Chris, who re-purpose old emergency service uniforms into clothing for kids in need” Sgt Jodie Murray said.
“The aim of U4K is to provide unique clothing to children who have a need no matter who or where they are.
“It is also an opportunity for law enforcement and emergency services organisations to build legitimacy and trust with communities and for retirees and other community members to support a charitable program, build social cohesion and expand their social networks,” Sgt Murray said.
Aspley Special School is a Year 7 to 12 school, located on Zillmere Rad in Aspley, that provides educational program to secondary aged students with a disability.
About U4K (Uniform 4 Kids)
Founded by Yvonne Pattinson OAM in 2017, Uniform 4 Kids is a community program that aims to repurpose donated law enforcement and emergency services organisations uniforms into beautiful clothing articles made for children in need.
U4K is supported by donor partners who continually donate their old uniforms: Queensland Police Service, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force, Australia Zoo, and Western Australia Police.
The program has already provided over 5,000 items to other charities and domestic violence shelters as well as remote communities and donors’ approved recipients.