AFP Community Liaison Teams (CLTs) have delivered a series of crucial engagement presentations this year, in a nation-wide effort to promote community safety, combat foreign interference, radicalisation, cybercrime and child sexual exploitation.
With five teams located across the country, the CLTs engage directly with thousands of Australians, including students, teachers, parents, leaders, migrants and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities every year.
The CLT teams are based in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
This year, the AFP launched a new education program to raise awareness of foreign interference in the community, including outlining how to report it. The new campaign was designed to help CALD groups identify and report signs of foreign interference.
AFP Assistant Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the AFP CLTs had presented at events across the country and had provided hundreds of factsheets to members of the public to help them better understand what the criminal activity involves.
“The CLTs have used the factsheet to start conversations with communities to build a broad understanding of what foreign interference is, and what individuals can do if they are being threatened or intimidated by foreign actors,” Assistant Commissioner Barrett said.
The AFP’s accompanying factsheet ‘Foreign Interference in the Community’ is now publicly available in over 36 languages.
“CLT members also regularly attend community and youth events, organise and participate in forums with spiritual and community leaders and act as a conduit between the community and law enforcement.
“The AFP continues to engage directly with communities across all religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds to help build productive relationships, establish police legitimacy and understand community sentiment and issues of concern.”
Assistant Commissioner Barrett said crime prevention was a large part of the CLT’s work, as well as keeping people safe and informed from a number of serious threats through proactive community engagement.
AFP CLTs also provide cultural awareness and guidance to AFP Officers who interact with CALD communities regarding a number of policing issues that affect them.
Supporting Vulnerable Communities
The CLTs also provide support to multicultural and diverse communities impacted and devastated by acts of violence or terrorism.
In September, CLT members accompanied the AFP Commissioner to present mosaic artworks to Christchurch community leaders and emergency services partners.
These artworks were to commemorate the victims, survivors and their families of the Christchurch terrorist attack perpetrated by an Australian citizen on 15 March 2019.
The artworks were created by an AFP member and organised by the CLT Victoria, in collaboration with various members of the Victorian community, including emergency services, to show the AFP’s ongoing support for the people of New Zealand.
Cultural Engagement
The CLTs work towards breaking down social barriers and generational traumas, which may exist between the community and law enforcement, either locally or overseas.
The CLTs in Queensland and South Australia led a group of 22 Muslim community mentors and youth on a cultural, spiritual and religious journey to outback South Australia.
The program saw participants from three east coast states as well as Imams, a school Principal, Islamic scholar, Prison Chaplain and numerous boys unite in a walk across the Limestone Coast.
ThinkUKnow
The CLTs work towards supporting communities and students of all ages, by providing information for presentations on various online child safety programs like ThinkUKnow.
The CLTs were recognised for their contribution and delivery of the ThinkUKnow program, which was awarded at the Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards (ACVPA) this year.
The ThinkUKnow program is presented by CLTs in schools across the country to help prevent online child sexual exploitation through a range of educational resources and information.
