Queensland police has sparked fury after Aboriginal children were invited to experience the inside of a paddy wagon as an activity at an Indigenous culture festival.
Professor Chelsea Watego said she attended the National Aboriginal and Islander Observance Committee (NAIDOC) event near her home in Inala, in Brisbane’s south-west, which has in previous years included a marquee by Queensland Police.
But she said this year instead of the ‘stall’, the organisation was represented by a paddy wagon and a number of community liaison officers, who are not sworn-in police.
Ms Watego said the officers had backed up the paddy wagon, opened its doors and were allowing children to take turns being police officers or criminals and ‘play at getting locked up as part of their engagement activity’.
‘Queensland Police turn up to one of the biggest Indigenous community NAIDOC week events – in which we have high rates of incarceration of our community – and they turn up with a [police] wagon to … get our kids to cosplay as criminals,’ she told the ABC.
Debbie Kilroy from The National Network of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls said the activity was ‘deeply inappropriate’ and a reminder of the ongoing trauma and systematic issues Aboriginal communities deal with.
A Queensland Police Service spokesperson said ‘hands-on’ use of police property for the activity had been given official approval.
‘This is intended to break down barriers, create conversations and build relationships with community,’ the spokesperson said.
Ms Watego took to social media with her claim and said she was disappointed by the actions of the police liaison officers.
‘These positions were introduced as a direct result of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody as a measure for reducing the hyper incarceration of Blackfullas … and here they facilitating the normalisation of it,’ she said.
‘This is absolutely shameful and disrespectful to our community, many of which have lost loved ones in custody and who continue to fight for justice for our people.’
Her post sparked a flood of comments slamming the activity, with many labelling it ‘disgusting’.
‘This could well be the most tone deaf thing I’ve ever seen,’ one person said.
‘How is it that not one person involved in the coordination of this thought ”maybe this is insulting and we shouldn’t do it”,’ another said.
‘Yet another blaring indicator of how disconnected the whole police system and government which allows this is,’ a third said.
‘What was their point? Appalling,’ another added.
Queensland Police confirmed a festivalgoer had ‘expressed their concerns about the use of the police vehicle’.
‘Following these conversations with the community member, and out of respect for their concerns, the Senior Police Liaison Officer immediately closed the police vehicle and removed it from the event site,’ said the spokesman.
‘Further discussions around this event have since been had with relevant local community stakeholders. The QPS takes community feedback seriously and will ensure it is incorporated in planning for next year’s event.’