Mark Latham Opposes NSW Police Training For Sydney WorldPride
starobserver.com.auOne Nation MP Mark Latham has described NSW police’s proposal to train 315 officers as special LGBTQI officers for Sydney WorldPride as “disproportionate.”The police officers would be Gay and Lesbian Liaison Officers for next year’s Sydney WorldPride.
Latham said they should instead be trained for “dealing with housing estate and elderly residents,”the Daily Telegraph reported.The ex-Labor MP also described the move as “identity politics in policing.” According to the News Corp masthead, the NSW government sent “255 generalist officers to the special [LGBTQI] training to become Gay and Lesbian Liaison Officers.” There is a “plan to train up to 100 more this year.” The officers will “engage positively and support members of the [LGBTQI] communities in NSW” and learn about the “history of the relationship between police and [LGBTQI] communities, challenges and sensitivities.” The training will also involve “[championing LGBTQI] inclusion at work and provide support to [LGBTQI] staff.” Latham claimed 12 officers for the elderly was “inadequate” and claimed the numbers were “out of balance.” Mark Latham“Three hundred and fifteen officers trained for LGBTIQ due for the Sydney World Pride next year, but only 12 for elderly and disabled people?” Latham said. “It’s almost 25 times more LGBTIQ officers than for the elderly and the disabled, then nothing for welfare recipients, public housing estates, remote and geographically remote people.
It seems that the gay and lesbian community are afforded extra special attention.“I imagine domestic violence is a much bigger issue than public safety during the Sydney World Pride Festival next year.
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