cont

"When police take away the drunken/drugged brute there will always be those scrubbers and apologists who see the offender as the victim and try to excuse him."
Beach, it is not my experience that scrubbers and apologists come out of the woodwork and excuse the perpetrator at all. If you see a desire to do something positive about the situation as "being soft" and favoring the criminal that is wrong. Just as when you say "it cannot be bad luck, a bad start, discrimination and whatever that 'makes' the man offend" The offending is at the end of the road, it is not at the beginning. Human beings are very much conditioned by their environment. I have two good sons, I believe myself, and their mother, did our best to bring them up in a loving environment, giving them positive role models, and as much opportunity as possible. I do not think it is an accident they turned out the way they have. I believe we gave them a flying start, never a 100% guarantee, but better than the start many disadvantaged kids receive.

Dear Joe (Loudmouth),

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people we're
told are massively over-represented in the
criminal justice system of Australia. Aboriginal
people represent only 3 per cent of the total
population yet more than 28 per cent of Australia's
prison population are Aboriginal. Websites tell us
that Australia is heading towards one in two of the
prison population will be comprised by Aboriginal
people by 2020.

Something is obviously wrong especially in states
like WA and the NT which jails more than half of the
ten - 17 year olds. De-funding many Aboriginal
community controlled organisations and services -
(Abbott government slashed the black budget
in its first year abd combined 500 programmes into
the broad streams under the chaotic Indigenous
Advancement Strategy that has resulted in the de-
funding of many Aboriginal community controlled organisations
and services),
taking away funding for drug and alcohol services
taking away access to legal services - doesn't help
matters.

I am amazed that you keep on repeating the same tired old
lines - but can't see the bigger picture. As Jack Charles
pointed out -

"But the policies that are making our lives worse than
poor white people of Australia...to remove us from lands,
the people of the top end, to remove them from their
lands, to take away funding strikes me as peculiar,
strange..."

Dearest Foxy,

I'll say it a hundred times if you like: organisations which are getting absolutely nowhere, which can't point to any positive results from one year to the next, should be immediately de-funded. Any organisation which can point to concrete results should be funded, emulated, given an OBE, whatever.

The question should be: given the vast range of opportunities available, why are so many young Aboriginal people avoiding effort and turning to idiotic petty crime, and worse ?

In spite of so many useless organisations, Foxy, the opportunities are available. Yes, those organisations might as well not exist, or be funded. But regardless, the opportunities are there. People don't have to live like they do: there's a sort of arrogance in thinking that one does not have to put in effort like other people, that one is somehow entitled to live entirely without studying or training or working. I don't have the slightest sympathy for such people. They don't have to do the crime, but if they do, then they do the time. There are too many good Indigenous people to worry about the skivers.

Joe

'evening to you ONTHEBEACH...

For a layman (never served as copper) you have an extremely good appreciation of how the job really works. In fact it's really uncanny how accurate you are when you describe a normal night shift ? Same offenders, and addresses, and same pubs, parks, same public toilets. Then you have the same complainants, with the same bizarre even hysterical allegations. And even though you know there's no basis to those allegations or complaints, you still have to respond nevertheless, just in case something does happen.

Therefore much of our time is wasted, and could be more productively spent 'standing over' the local neighbourhood 'hoodlum tough guys', all of whom like to menace and intimidate others after they try to return to their homes, from a movie or night spot ! It's this particular group I took great delight in (verbally) 'pushing around' letting them experience how unsettling and frightening, such intimidation can really feel like ! As I'm absolutely positive most of you blokes on this Forum, would do likewise - I harbour an intense dislike for bullies.

ONTHEBEACH, as I said at the outset, you have an incredibly sound insight into the job per se. 90% routine, 10% and all s..t hit the fan !

I must close, my eyes are quite sore, it happens some nights ?

Hi o sung wu

What else can the police do, they can't break the vicious circle. I would like your comment on this one;
In the police submission to the licencing board regarding the 24 hours licence of a local pub in my area. The police stated that the pub was vitally using them as "private security". People were making their way from the city late on Friday and Saturday nights (drunk) going to this establishment and then in some cases getting out of hand, even as far as a pitched battle in the main street between a couple of gangs, the road had to be closed by the police. Any real trouble and there was plenty of it, the pub would call the cops. The outcome was a minimal reduction in their trading hours. I'm sure the pub owners are still doing very nicely indeed, and the police are still responding when called. I know when 4 or 5 cop cars scream past my place late at night, then the ambos as well, where they are most likely heading. this pub must cost the taxpayer a "$million" per year.
My partners sister took us on a tour of South Auckland, where she lives, a notorious trouble spot for Maori, (ever watched 'Once Were Warriors') sister pointed out no less than 18 establishments selling alcohol in a 1 mile area. They are all there, seedy bars, clubs, drinking joints, retailers, even the RSA (RSL for us) the lot. The place is a sea of alcohol, its not all run by unshaven shifty charterers Coles (New World in NZ) and other "reputable" traders all have their outlets there.

cont

cont

I have been to many Maori marae in NZ, in some cases hundred of Maori gathered together, you would think, given the stereotyping, a powder keg ready to explode! Not so, why, several reasons one is respect, the authority of elders and the Maori Wardens who are ever present, the biggest problem for them is usually illegal parking and also the mostly total exclusion of alcohol at the majority of marea is a big factor as well. A 60th birthday party once, young people asked permission if they could celebrate uncles birthday with a drink. The Kaumatua's (elders) went in and met. They decided yes (not agreed with by all including my partner, but as a woman had no say in such a thing) , beer only, show how much of it you have, (2 boxes) and only that and at the extreme end of the marea, and as per protocol, any not drunk must be left behind to be disposed of. No trouble what so ever and none left behind.