Nixon -˜a loss to gay community’

Victorian gay rights groups have praised the Victorian Police Chief Commissioner, Christine Nixon, for her work with the community after declaring last week she will step down a month before her contract ends in April.

There was a mixed response from other groups, including the Police Association. The Crime Victims Support Association’s president, Noel McNamara was quoted in The Age saying -œmost of the community won’t be too heartbroken at the decision.

Premier John Brumby on the other hand hailed her as one of the best ever.

Anti-Violence Project manager Greg Adkins said Nixon had made an -œextraordinary contribution to the gay and lesbian community and was a stark contrast to the -œold guard on gay and lesbian issues.

-œShe has been an ear to the community and never afraid of input from the community whether good or bad -¦ we’ve taken big steps with her in that role, he told Southern Star.

Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby co-convenor Stephen Jones said Nixon has served the gay and lesbian community well.

-œThe manner in which she embraced and passionately fought for recognition and safety of the gay and lesbian community is without comparison, he said.

Jones said Nixon’s appearance at the 2002 Pride march was the most -œwarmly remembered public appearance by a high-ranking official in a long time.

-œIt showed that it’s not only Christine Nixon in support of our community … [but] gives the GLBTI community a very important moment to realise that the police have gone from enforcing laws against us to celebrating our community beside us.

Gay and Lesbian Liaison Officer Unit manager Scott Davis said the Unit was unable to comment directly.

-œI think she’s positioned Victoria Police to be a mature organisation and I expect whoever takes over will be exactly the same, he told Southern Star.

Nixon became Australia’s first female chief commissioner in 2001, having begun her career in the NSW police force in 1972.

In an interview in 2003 on ABC’s Radio National, when asked about controversy surrounding her participation in Melbourne’s Pride march, Nixon said she told herself, -œput your money where your mouth is, Christine.

-œWhat I’m doing is supporting decent and reasonable people who want to get on with their lives, and they have been treated appallingly previously by the police, and I’m prepared to do something about it.

-œAnd if it’s a small symbol of marching with them, then that would be a reasonable thing to do, she said in the interview.

It is estimated that only 10 percent of homophobic crimes are ever reported to police.