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| Victoria Police Aboriginal Advisory Group | |
|---|---|
| Name | Victoria Police Aboriginal Advisory Group |
| Formation | 1990s |
| Type | Advisory body |
| Headquarters | Melbourne, Victoria |
| Region served | Victoria, Australia |
| Parent organisation | Victoria Police |
Victoria Police Aboriginal Advisory Group is an advisory body established to provide cultural advice, strategic guidance, and community liaison between Victoria Police and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Victoria. The group operates at the interface of law enforcement, Indigenous affairs and public policy, engaging with entities such as the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council, Department of Justice and Community Safety, Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service and local Victorian Government agencies. It draws on the knowledge of representatives from Traditional Owner groups, urban Aboriginal organisations and peak bodies including the Koorie Heritage Trust, First Peoples Assembly of Victoria and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations.
The advisory group's origins trace to late 20th century reforms in response to high-profile incidents involving Aboriginal peoples in custody, inquiries like the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and state-level reviews led by the Victorian Ombudsman and the Parliament of Victoria. Early iterations emerged alongside programs such as the Koorie Youth Court and agreements with the Wurundjeri Tribe Land and Compensation Cultural Heritage Council, reflecting a broader shift signalled by the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families and reconciliation initiatives like the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation. Over subsequent decades the advisory group evolved through memoranda of understanding with Victoria Police and governmental policy frameworks such as Closing the Gap partnerships endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments.
The group's mandate includes advising on policing protocols affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, contributing to cultural safety strategies, and guiding implementation of policies arising from reports like those by the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Victorian Treaty Authority. Objectives typically reference reducing over‑representation in custody, improving police-community relations, supporting culturally appropriate training drawing on curricula from institutions such as Monash University and Australian Institute of Criminology, and informing victim support measures linked to the Victorian Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal.
Membership is comprised of representatives from Traditional Owner corporations such as the Gunditjmara, Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, and Dja Dja Wurrung groups, alongside nominees from peak bodies like the Aboriginal Legal Service of Victoria and Tasmania and the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation. The structure often includes an independent chair, subcommittees on cultural training and justice reform, and liaison officers embedded within Victoria Police commands such as Metropolitan Policing Region and regional divisions including the Barwon South West Region. Appointment processes intersect with statutory bodies like the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission and advisory positions may be subject to terms negotiated with the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (Victoria).
The advisory group has been involved in initiatives including co-design of cultural awareness programs used by Victoria Police Academy, establishment of protocols for deaths in custody reflecting recommendations from the Australian Law Reform Commission, and participation in community safety plans with municipal councils such as the City of Melbourne and Bendigo. It has supported diversionary schemes linked to the Koorie Court model, contributed to training modules developed with universities like Deakin University, and advised on signage, art and acknowledgement of country projects in partnership with organisations like the Koorie Heritage Trust and local Aboriginal corporations.
The advisory group's relationship with Victoria Police is formalised through consultation agreements and joint working groups that intersect with departmental bodies such as the Department of Premier and Cabinet (Victoria), the Office of the Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People, and parliamentary committees including the Legal and Social Issues Committee. Interaction with ministers and agencies has included briefings to the Parliament of Victoria and contribution to state strategies complementing federal initiatives by the National Cabinet and agencies like the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
Stakeholders including Traditional Owners, community legal centres such as the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service and health providers have reported mixed assessments: some credit the group with facilitating reforms in training and custody protocols, while others cite limited systemic change. Evaluations referencing reports by the Victorian Auditor-General's Office and submissions to parliamentary inquiries indicate measurable progress in cultural competency programs and community engagement, alongside persistent concerns about incarceration rates tracked by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Criticisms have focused on perceived tokenism, limited powers to enforce recommendations, and tensions with policing practices documented in inquiries involving the Victorian Ombudsman and litigation in courts such as the Supreme Court of Victoria. Community activists, peak bodies like the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service and academics from institutions such as La Trobe University have called for stronger accountability mechanisms, resourcing comparable to statutory bodies like the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, and greater representation from regional Traditional Owner groups including the Latrobe Valley Aboriginal Regional Group.
Category:Organisations based in Victoria (Australia) Category:Indigenous Australian organisations