Aust indigenous communities have violence problem 

Source:

Every Queensland indigenous community has a substantial violence problem, and a new approach is needed to tackle the mayhem, a landmark report says.

The Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) on Friday released a 469-page report into policing in indigenous communities.

The report was triggered by two events - the unrest after the death in custody of Cameron Doomadgee on Palm Island and the Aurukun riots in January 2007.

Queensland has 17 Aboriginal communities, with a total population of about 14,800 people, and there are 20 Torres Strait Islander communities with a population of about 8,500.

"There is no indigenous community that does not have a substantial violence problem," the report said.

The report found that despite dozens of government strategies and programs, the high crime rate in indigenous communities had been consistent since 1995.

And the latest tool - alcohol management plans - had delivered "no clear reduction in offence rates".

"Most crime prevention strategies remain poorly developed and piecemeal," the report said.

"This has led to the state government's failure to make inroads in reducing indigenous over-representation (in the justice system).

"We now need to translate the crime prevention rhetoric into reality."

It said "a high degree of community engagement and sustained support from government, both of which are very difficult to achieve", would be needed to cut crime.

"There is a huge role to be played by community leaders and indigenous organisations at the community and regional level," the report said.

"Individuals, parents and families must be motivated to change aspects of their behaviour, their values and, indeed, aspects of their culture such as the use of violence as an appropriate means of resolving conflict.

"Government should see its role as providing vital support and capacity building."

The key recommendations include a new police service command dedicated to indigenous justice, led by an assistant commissioner, and better training of police officers in indigenous culture.

It also called for local plans, developed by police and community leaders, to set out crime prevention priorities.

The report specifically called for outstanding litigation relating to Cameron Doomadgee's death to be finalised by the sixth anniversary of his death in November 2010.