NSW Police confident of positive Mardi Gras despite investigation calls

NSW Police confident of positive Mardi Gras despite investigation calls

THE NSW police officer with ultimate responsibility for LGBTI relations has said he believes the force will get a positive reception at Mardi Gras despite recent calls for the policing of the LGBTI community to be investigated.

NSW Police corporate sponsor for sexuality and gender diversity, Superintendent Tony Crandell (pictured above, front left), told the Star Observer that while the police and community might not always see eye-to-eye it was important an open dialogue was maintained.

“Having that sort of respectful relationship that’s really all I can hope for [but] I can’t hope that we’re really all going to agree, because we won’t,” he said.

Last week, politicians from across the political spectrum threw their weight behind a proposal to subject the NSW Police Force to the scrutiny of an independent complaints body.

This would have the ability to look into any complaint brought against the force including long standing concerns surrounding a number of police investigations into decades-old unsolved gay bashings, and possibly murders, at known beats.

Earlier this month, the Star Observer revealed Alan Rosendale, who alleges that in the late 1980s he was bashed by police officers after being chased out of a beat, wanted an independent inquiry into the police’s handling of the case.

Rosendale’s solicitor, Nicholas Stewart from Dowson Turco lawyers, said only a thorough examination of the force – both regarding historic investigations and current policing strategies – could rebuild trust between police and the community.

“We think an inquiry will mean questions will be answered and the NSW Police Force will have an opportunity to show that it is willing to change,” Stewart said.

Crandell, who is based at Surry Hills, agreed the current focus on LGBTI community policing hadn’t come an ideal time but he compared it to Mardi Gras 2014 which followed allegations of excessive force from some officers at the 2013 parade.

“Last year I thought what we’re going to get an awful reception, we were really worried, but we did a lot of work with the community and the reception was fantastic [and] really positive,” he said.

Crandell said the police were looking forward to marching in in the Mardi Gras Parade, to be held on Saturday, March 7.

“I think people are there to celebrate, we’re there in goodwill and we’re never going to agree on everyone’s points of view but as long as we’ve still got our relationship,” he said.

Crandell was speaking last Friday at Sydney Town Hall where a new exhibition was launched to mark a quarter of a century since the state’s first gay and lesbian liaison officer (GLLO) was commissioned.

Across NSW there are now 176 GLLOs who undertake additional training to gain knowledge about numerous issues affecting LGBTI communities, including bias crime and domestic violence and the challenges facing youth, trans* and intersex people when seeking support.

“Twenty five years ago some people decided to ask some questions of our politicians and say listen, how about we get some better relationships with the gay community from the police… and we’re still ‘GLLOing’,” Crandell said.

“We’ve got more than a dozen GLLOs at Surry Hills and people come to Surry Hills because they know we’re GLBTI-friendly.

“They look for us and you see rainbows all through the place and see purple shirts up in the foyer it’s fantastic, I love it.

“The value of GLLOs is in their attitude and their attitude is value equality, value diversity, value sexuality; don’t discriminate and let’s look forward.”

The ‘25 years and GLLO-ing’ history installation is currently on show at Sydney Police Centre, Goulburn Street, Surry Hills.

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47 responses to “NSW Police confident of positive Mardi Gras despite investigation calls”

  1. What’s clear is that NSW Police are a basket case – the commissioner is a liar – his deputy – that gruesome Catherine Burns aka ‘the freak’ – she’s a psychotic liar – the record of NSW police and their violent history of death and assault – cover up and lies – when will it end ? The Sydney gay community knows a fake when they see it and this bs about police supporting the gay community over the past 25 years is just woeful – most NSW Police Officers are just assholes – there’s no other way to put it

  2. I was 19. I was expecting a celebration of pride in 1978. Instead I was terrified, hurt and surrounded by people I knew being brutalised and bashed beyond anything I had ever witnessed. Some friends have not recovered from the injuries they suffered that night. The treatment of us at the other protests including outside the courts was awful. I was shocked and frightened. It was my first direct contact with the police in my life. I want an apology for myself and for all of us who were brutalised and badly injured. There is unfinished business and no amount of smiling and waving will make it just fly away. We remember. We always will. Time to step up and show us how actions speak louder than words or exhibitions. 37 years is a long time but it seems like yesterday.

  3. Healing and building good relationships with an abused and disenfranchised community doesnt happen by the abusers telling the abused to set aside differences.

  4. surely the way we set ”our differences” aside is by the police not engaging in brutality, abuse and homophobia? and maybe prosecuting the cops who’ve done those things? why do abusers get to hold batons, guns, tasers and capsicum spray and then pretend it’s all fine?

    it’s funny, in the US, there was a police strike recently where cops stopped making ”unnecessary” arrests to try to force people to stop criticising them. everything then got better. no increase in street violence. just less police brutality.

    i wonder how much ”unnecessary” abuse, brutality and homophobia there is with sydney’s police that they could just … stop doing it?

  5. The NSW Police handling of the Alan Rosendale case looks most definitely like a cover up to me, appaling treatment of our community and it does not stop there. Just two years ago we had police violence at the parade and still there is a heavy handed approach by them at our venues and parties.
    I wouldn’t boo them on the night but I would prefer that they weren’t in the parade at all.
    It’s also a bit rich claiming a “fantastic response” last year. That response came from a crowd of tunnels and bridges who also thought that Delta on a toothpaste truck was a worthy parade inclusion.
    Parade crowds are not a good representation of LGBTQI community.

    • But they were still doing that at 1am when people were trying to walk home. It was never explained why in 2013 Oxford St was blocked off for so long after the parade. How do you get from Surry Hills to Darlinghurst without crossing Oxford St? Police are supposed to help!

  6. Do we boo the liberal Party?

    Do we boo the Labour Party?

    Both do so much harm to our community.

    Why boo the GLBT GLLO officers in the police force?

    Stereotypes are bad. Stop judging the whole group for the actions of a few.

    We certainly don’t like it when we are all labelled paedophiles because of the actions of a few.

    If historical issues need to be dealt with – booing those officers that support us is not the way to go about it.

    • It’s perfectly fine to boo a group that is abusive and paid to do it with our own money; there’s absolutely no comparison to be made between homophobia and a rejection of police brutality.

      I also personally boo the Labor and Liberal party, what heartless person wouldn’t considering there’s LGBTI people locked up by ALP and LNP in a torture camp offshore for the ”crime” of seeking asylum based on their sexuality?

  7. Will they ensure they’ll act without provocation and without violence. Will they deal with the past and investigate past police discrimination and violence towards the LGBTI communities.
    Answer NO because they haven’t really changed. To truly do so they must fix and pay for their past discrimination and hate crimes.

  8. Not being from Sydney or NSW, just that there is an article about police and GLBT for upcoming mardi gras, is of great concern, no matter how much work has been done. I don’t think any other state in Australia has this great a concern about the police. :/

  9. You would think that religious groups would also set their differences aside also for Mardi Gras. But I’m sure hell will have to freeze over before that ever happens

  10. Amazing that even with their 25 year historical look back NSW Police lie and cover up their dirty past – that runs right up to current day. NSW Police have a rotten arrogant blokey culture – they have almost no service ethic – they make it quite clear they are not here to serve us – and many of them are openly homophobic and hate gay people. They have no credibility and those that follow NSW Police and their links to the gay community know there needs to be a major overhaul.

  11. The GLLO’s are great, NSW Pol have dramatically changed their culture – though much remains to be done, particularly in suburban areas.

    The current 25th anniversary of of the GLLO’s exhibition outside Surry Hills Police Station was launched with great fanfare in conjunction with the rainbow flag raising at City Hall to launch Mardi Gras on Friday. The exhibition skirts over the “difficulties” of 1978/79 in one brief sentence, then jumps to the establishment of the GLLO’s in 1990.

    I appreciate a hagiography as much as the next person, but to include nothing on the bashings at Darlinghurst Police Station, nothing on the Club 80 raids, nothing on the lack of investigation of the beat murders… etc is an abuse of history and a pinkwashing of NSW Police.

    Recently the Vic Police gave a formal public apology for the Tasty Raid in Melbourne (strip searching 450+ nightclub patrons 20 years ago), where has the apology been from the NSW Police for the many years of corruptions, stand over tactics and abuse of the LGBT community.

    • Our film has spoken to a number of 78ers, all of whom are united in wanting an official apology from NSW Police for their actions at the first Mardi Gras in 1978 at the very, very, very least.

    • The apology from the police should be broader than the events of Mardi Gras in 78, many more were arrested in subsequent protests, and it also skirts over the other events like the Club 80 raids.

      The SMH should also give an apology, as should the Press Council for their appealing treatment in relation to the broader 78er arrests.

    • They also need to sanction an open, public, independent civilian inquiry into the gay murders during the 1980s. And to repair their relationship with the beats project, which seems to have totally collapsed, thanks to police harrassment and homophobia.

  12. It would a shame to boo the officers who partake. Most of these will be LGBTI or friends. It would be more powerful to applaud them as obviously they are there to stand up for the community. I find this quiet sad as I’ve said before elsewhere.

    • Stephen, it is indeed sad. But even sadder that we have more or less accepted the presence of these police officers in our Mardi Gras for many years while they and we are mocked by the failure of the “service” to face police wrongdoing and apologise, at very least for their unprovoked and brutal attack on the very first parade. I was there.

    • So then we will have to accept that the officers who march, who may or may not by LGBTI or want to support the community, will be ok taking the blame for every bad apple ever to disgrace the entire Police Force and put up with boo’ing, bringing down the whole tone of the Parade. Wouldn’t it be lovely to be the float in front or behind them. Lovely, have fun every one.

  13. The NSW Police Force is for the most part fantastic. Dedicated, professional officers work hard for the whole community. But too often they have failed to act on the bad apples – the Mardi Gras bashings were handled appallingly, and the continuing inaction on the historical allegations of bashings (and likely murder) by police is inexcusable.

    I am happy to set differences aside when the side with all the power, that continues to fail us, finally steps up and submits to the same rule of law as the rest of us.

  14. So here we have a police force with a historic record of gay bashings and murders, still strenuously covering them up and refusing independent investigation and oversight, who heavy handedly over police our major annual celebrations, worried that the community might boo them at Mardi Gras. When they clean the skeletons out of their closets and genuinely engage with the community in repentance for their past misdemeanours, and submit to permanent civilian scrutiny, then perhaps we’ll be able to trust them. Till then, I’d be very wary.

  15. So here we have a police force with a historic record of gay bashings and murders, still strenuously covering them up and refusing independent investigation and oversight, who heavy handedly over police our major annual celebrations, worried that the community might boo them at Mardi Gras. When they clean the skeletons out of their closets and genuinely engage with the community in repentance for their past misdemeanours, and submit to permanent civilian scrutiny, then perhaps we’ll be able to trust them. Till then, I’d be very wary.