The head of a leading youth advocacy group says he expects a commitment from Victoria Police to work on improving the training of officers when it comes to their dealings with young people, following an incident involving a boy in Bendigo last year.
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Leo Fieldgrass, chief executive officer of the Youth Affairs Council Victoria, wrote to Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton in October after footage emerged of four police officers pinning a preteen boy on the ground in an arrest at Bendigo train station.
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Mr Fieldgrass requested a full investigation into the incident, describing the treatment of the boy as distressing, but a Victoria Police internal review found no wrongdoing on the part of the officers involved and a police spokesman said there had been no complaints received.
On Tuesday, Mr Fieldgrass told the Bendigo Advertiser he had not yet received a written response to his letter, although Victoria Police had apologised for that.
But he said his organisation had had conversations with the police force on working with it on training and professional development for members around working with young people.
Mr Fieldgrass said Victoria Police had no comprehensive training on working with young people, and instead had a fact sheet.
But his organisation was keen to work with the force to improve that.
“We’d like to see interactive professional development sessions to help them understand the complex situations some young people find themselves in,” he said.
The use of force on young people was a last resort, he said.
Not only was there the change of physical and mental harm, Mr Fieldgrass said, but the use of force could damage any positive sentiment or future relationships with police.
“We want all young people to view police as community members there to help and support them, and not to be afraid of them,” he said.
Mr Fieldgrass said he was looking forward to progressing his organisation’s conversations with Victoria Police.
Victoria Police has been contacted for comment.