Boys, You Wanna Give Me Some Action? Interventions into Policing of Racialised Communities in Melbourne

This report examines the tensions between African young people and the police across three regions of Melbourne: Braybrook, Flemington and The City of Greater Dandenong. We then go on to examine the effect of the ‘community policing’ agenda on these tensions. This report is one outcome of work conducted over the course of 2009/10 as part of the ‘Racism Project’ (the project). Springvale Monash Legal Service, Fitzroy Legal Service and the Western Suburbs Legal Service jointly managed the project, which was funded by the Legal Services Board. As part of the project the three legal services undertook to conduct research into ‘racism in the community’, with a view to strengthening anti-racist and pro-diversity initiatives in Melbourne. To this end the authors conducted a review of existing relevant literature, as well as identifying current trends in anti-racist and multicultural research, policy, community development and activist activity. The three legal centres used this review to identify a need for original research into the topic of African young people’s experience of police, and community policing initiatives.