EACH聽year during the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival, the city lights up with the colours of the rainbow.
NSW Police Force has played a pivotal safety role in the parade throughout the years but it鈥檚 our marching contingent that makes me most proud. Since 1996, NSW Police officers have added a splash of blue to demonstrate support and commitment to the lesbian, gay bisexual, trans* and intersex communities.
I am extremely proud the force recognises the importance of marching in the parade, signifying our strong support and solidarity with the LGBTI community. As an organisation, it provides us an opportunity to recognise and respect our own workforce diversity through acceptance of everyone鈥檚 unique attributes.
Our theme for the 2014 festival is 鈥榃e are many shades of blue鈥�, and more than 50 officers from across NSW, including the Police Band, will take their place in the parade. These officers are predominantly gay and lesbian liaison officers (GLLOs), who play a significant role in building our capacity to better respond to a range of issues affecting LGBTI communities.
GLLOs are especially committed to drawing mutual understanding both within and outside the NSW Police force and they are considered our experts on same-sex domestic violence issues, beats, bias crimes against LGBTI communities, transgender and intersex 聽issues.
Policing the parade route and surrounding areas to ensure a safe event is our number one priority. We have been working closely with event organisers to make sure everyone can have a great night.
This year, NSW Police launched Operation Tacoma, a high-visibility policing strategy to provide environments in which the community can celebrate all 2014 Mardi Gras Festival events in safety.
We are working under the direction of Operation Commander, Assistant Commissioner Alan Clarke, who 鈥� as Commander of the Major Events and Incidents Group 鈥� brings a wealth of experience in policing the biggest events within this state and across Australia.
Operation Tacoma will focus on crowd safety, particularly as large crowds arrive and leave the area; providing the safest possible experience on public transport, traffic management and minimising the risk of alcohol-related crime and anti-social behaviour.
The number of police involved in the operation was determined in conjunction with the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras organisers pursuant to the recently-endorsed Memorandum of Understanding, which has been designed to ensure consultation and open communication for provision of safe and comfortable event environments.
You鈥檒l see a variety of police officers out on Parade night, including representatives from local general duties and GLLOs, the mounted unit, dog unit, traffic and highway patrol, police transport command, public order and riot squad and operational support group.
All these officers will be briefed on expectations by senior police and are educated by Mardi Gras organisers on the history and cultural significance of the festival before deployments on the night.
As the Commander of Surry Hills Local Area Command, I will be working as the Forward Commander on the ground along the parade route utilising local police who are accustomed to the culture and uniqueness of LGBTI communities.
We know and understand the community, its culture and more importantly, the significance and symbolism of Mardi Gras. This strategy was developed at joint briefings with the Chief Executive Officer of Mardi Gras, Mr Michael Rolik, in an effort to minimise misunderstanding between police and community members.
These joint briefings have been invaluable in developing strategies to seamlessly incorporate policing and security operations into the event brief. The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade is one of the biggest events of its kind in the world 鈥� all eyes will be on Sydney 鈥� we want them to see the city at its best.
Once again, one of our officers will be part of the decency inspection team. We will work side-by-side with event organisers to check each float to make sure everything remains in the true spirit of the festival without being offensive.
We are often asked what鈥檚 okay and what鈥檚 not, which is sometimes difficult to describe 鈥� when you see something offensive, you just know. That said, full-frontal nudity is never okay on a public street, neither are hurtful or hate-filled banners.
Remember, there will be children watching along the parade route 鈥� this is their family too 鈥� so if you wouldn鈥檛 want your child to see it, re-think it.
The force has come a long way since the 2013 parade. Not only have we been working with event organisers, but we have been working with the LGBTI community, to help make this year鈥檚 parade the best yet.
Remember, the new liquor laws come into effect on Monday, which will impact bars and clubs on Oxford St, so if you鈥檙e not going to the after party, there鈥檚 a few things you鈥檒l need to know.
A new CBD entertainment precinct has been established, stretching from Kings Cross to Cockle Bay, and The Rocks to Haymarket and parts of Surry Hills.
All licensed premises in this precinct will now have a 1.30am lockout, serve last drinks at 3am and troublemakers will face temporary banning orders. In addition, you won鈥檛 be able to buy take-away alcohol anywhere in NSW after 10pm.
All the details, including the precinct map, are available on the NSW Government website: http://www.nsw.gov.au.
Regardless of where you party-on after the parade, I urge everyone to look after themselves and their friends. By all means, have a great time and enjoy your night but don鈥檛 overdo it.
Looking forward to seeing everyone along the parade route 鈥� make sure you stop and say hello. Happy Mardi Gras 2014.
David Rook has an ulterior motive for dismissing the good work that Police do, and this is carried throughout every gay publication in Australia, which is sad, because the truth is never told.
.
The Police were at the Parade last year, because it was a large event, lets say 100,000 people on Oxford Street. Of that, there were 200 – 300 police officers? And out of all of the people and Police that were there, 2 incidents occurred. One young guy decided to spit and kick at the people around him, so a big cop took him down. If it had been my sister or mother being treated like this young guy treated those around him, I would have been a little bit thankful. The other incident I think was a guy crossing the street , while it was closed off, and both the MG volunteers and the Police told the guy to wait, and he didn’t, and what I saw was this guy punch and kick the cop who tried to stop him from crossing the road. Again, the cops were at fault?? Anyhow, that was then and this is now.
Trained yahoos? Nah, not that I have seen. Very professional people for the better part, who come from all walks of life, and are in training for 2 years to be a cop.
Every time you write into the media David Rook, you always complain about Tony Crandell. It sounds to me that you have tried to get your own way in a situation, and people have dared to say no, you were wrong, and you aren’t going to get your way. If things were different, then you you wouldn’t be whining to everyone about hard done by you are, your problem would have been solved. I may not have been around as long as you have, or dealt with legal situations as much as you seem to have, but I do know, that the squeaky wheel gets the oil and ohhhhhhhh lordy, your wheel is head splitting, and still you go on. Lay off the turps dear, and step away from the computer for a while, and you might find things aren’t as bad as what you make them out to be.
Last time I checked, the MP’s that we voted into parliament had not changed the laws that they had created in relation to criminalising drugs. So what you are saying is that because we are gay, the laws of the state don’t apply to us? Because we are gay and this is Oxford Street, an area well known for the high consumption of illegal and dangerous drugs that we inject or swallow or sell or lure others into taking? Why not do what other level headed and good minded people do David, write to your MP’s, get the law changed, don’t be such a coward and get onto sites like this and bitch and whine and trash people who most likely have never heard of you, or don’t remember you. It’s very easy to be brave and intrepid behind the safety of a keyboard when you are advocating a negative warfare on a person or organisation who don’t do as you demand of them.
Until you get off your bum and get the law changes through, or choose to become your own independent fairy kingdom, you are part of New South Wales, and must abide by NSW law, and respect those that have to play their part in administering those laws
To any Police officers, including Tony Crandell, any firemen, nurses and paramedics, thanks for being there for all of us. All of you guys and girls do a great job at looking after the rest of us, even those who do little to show their appreciation.
What about when it is police that make LGBTIQ people feel unsafe?
The apparent results of negotiations between Mardi Gras officials and police are deeply disappointing: more policing at Mardi Gras (in all shapes and forms) and no accountability for police violence, harassment and criminalisation targeting LGBTIQ people.
Reducing longstanding and ongoing histories of police intervention into queer spaces as amounting to ‘misunderstandings’ in the present shows the depth of denial and evasion of accountability within the police force. It also shirks any recognition of the immense power disparity at play between police and LGBTIQ people.
To quote Digby Duncan, the film-maker of ‘Witches and Fagoots, Dykes and Poofters’ that documented the first Mardi Gras, ‘we should always keep in mind our past and be ever-vigilant about our rights’. As this article demonstrates, we must also resist attempts by police to co-opt our histories of struggle and survival in the service of their legitimacy.
Wow, is it too late to enter my Decency Inspection Team float in the Parade? After all, we must Think Of The Children!
Seriously, it would have been appropriate & respectful for the author to acknowledge that the MG parade we have today is a legacy of *shameful* behaviour by the NSW Police and the Sydney press,in an era where homosexuality was illegal. I cheered the first year the police marched in the parade, but we should never lose sight of the fact that the ‘proud history’ invoked in this article only came about as a result of civil disobedience by queer people who refused to be suppressed by unjust laws.
We don’t want you and your mates deciding what’s “hurtful” or “offensive”, Tony. Go away and stop policing our expression. The whole parade exists to resist your organisation’s historical role in suppressing our freedom of expression. You may have many shades of blue, but the rainbow is infinitely greater than your myopic, ignorant, and backward institution of violence and oppression. Sod off out of our parade. But while you’re here, make sure your officers’ briefing includes a thorough run down of the ways in which they belong to an institution of maggots- from queer bashing to murders of indigenous people in custody, there is much to be ashamed of. #faggotsAgainstmaggots
When the NSW Police set up an enquiry into which of its members, past and present, were directly involved not only in the bashing and murder of gay men in Sydney, but also the deliberate sabotaging of some of the “investigations” into these crimes, I may consider them welcome at OUR night. Until then, forget it. Oh and Tony, I don’t really care what you find “offensive”, just as you probably don’t care that I find the blatant baring of arms from some in your ranks offensive!
A ‘decency inspection team’ will inspect each float before it is allowed to proceed. That’s sad.
What we really need is another police force – and not Queensland police either – I hear they are worse.
Tony Crandells long article above doesn’t address any of the real issues – as I see it they are:
1. A large % of his force are poorly trained yahoos who are arrogant and hate gays and will happily use and abuse their position to assert their power – and use their many weapons
2. When his troops do cross the line, or worse when they kill someone – don’t expect any justice – instead u will encounter the very slick well oiled machine called the police complaints / ombudsman process that will waste hundreds of hours of ur time and effort – typically at the end of it all u get are denials, obfuscation and a report full of basic factual errors – no less than Supt Crandell wrote ours and he mixed up our names and got key details wrong
3. What are all these police doing at this event anyway, and why the f’en drug dogs? Mardi Gras doesn’t ask for those Supt Crandell. And I am told Mardi Gras is given very little say on police numbers, they are I am told dictated by crowd size. I am sure I will see gangs of police, with sniffer dogs, looking very happy as they single out party go ‘ers – hoping to fuck up their night and show everyone how powerful they are.
Mardi Gras – or what’s left of it – will live on but NSW police are a bad smell that refuses to go away
It wouldn’t have hurt to at least acknowledge that mardi gras commemorates a night when NSW police shut down a legal street party then beat the crap out of some of the people who then protested. Or that darlinghurst police station was notorious for violence against poofs and dykes. Police have played a ‘pivotal safety role in the parade throughout the years’? Only if you forget what the whole thing is actually about.
Sounds like a lot of waffle and no actual commitment that the police will behave themselves. Was there a commitment from the police that they will remind their people that Mardi Gras night isn’t about them?
No?
Well, either way it doesn’t bother me. I’m not going to waste my time travelling 3 hours each way from regional NSW to Sydney to stand in a crowd and probably be abused by haters (with or without police badges).
Sounds like the police have too many discretionary powers and will deam whatever they want offensive. I look forward to being singled out, dragged out of the queue to the after party and treated like a criminal on sight.