Victoria Police racist, says ex-adviser

By Alex Cooper

MELBOURNE -- The former Koori adviser to the Victoria Police, Ken Saunders, who resigned his position last month because of the “inherent racism in the police force”, has accused the force of having a patronising attitude to black people in general. His job, he said, had been reduced to a form of tokenism.

Part of Saunders' job was to lecture at the police academy to recruits. He often found, however, that his work was undone once the recruits graduated.

The Kennett government has announced that it will transfer jurisdiction of the Aboriginal Community Justice Panels to Victoria Police. The panels were part of a program set up by the Kirner Labor government to prevent poor treatment of Kooris by police and to cut the high levels of detention for minor offences.

Several community groups have expressed anger at the move. Phillip Cooper, executive officer of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, said the program could no longer provide Kooris who came into contact with the criminal justice system fair and independent representation. The move was contrary to the recommendations of the Aboriginal Deaths in Custody Royal Commission, he said.

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