GUEST SPEAKER - SHANE KEOGH

Rotarian Jim Hanrahan introduced guest speaker S/Sgt Shane Keogh.  Shane joined the police force in 1985 and worked in suburban stations (he was in the second car to arrive at the Hoddle Street Massacre).   Shane was 10 years with the Croydon CIU, performed covert surveillance duty, and was an undercover operative with the drug squad.  In 2000 Shane was promoted to Sergeant and came to Warrnambool.  In 2012 he was promoted to Senior Sergeant. His wife is a local girl and they have 4 children. Two have been involved in Rotary Youth Exchange.  Shane is a member of Warrnambool Central RC.  The Keogh family hosted Fabio.

S/Sgt Shane Keogh’s was on Victoria Police Community Consultation.  He said the 80 page Human Rights Charter report can be a bit boring, but is an important document. In February 2013, upon settlement of litigation in the Federal Court of Australia where it had been alleged that there existed the practice of racial profiling within Victoria Police, the Victoria Police invited community comment. Cross culture training was to be provided within Victoria Police. In June 2013 various individuals and organisations were invited to make submissions – Aboriginal, Multicultural, Youth, Aged, Mental Health & Disability, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Victims of Crime.  More than 70 submissions were received. Five key areas of focus were identified as: Community Engagement, Communiction and Respect, Field Contact Policy and Process, Complaints Process and Cross Cultural Training. 

Shane said there were 35 recommendations and he spoke about 5 of them.  No. 1 was:  In making amendments to policy and the Victoria Police Manual (VPM), consult with and seek input from operational members. No. 2: Provide guidance to members in relation to circumstances reasonably believed to be suspicious. No. 7:  Included direction to members on what they are required to tell individuals who are subject to field contacts. No. 14: Amend the VPM to specifically state that ethnic appearance cannot be the sole descriptor in a field contact report. No. 15: Set a length of time that is reasonably necessary for field contact reports to remain on the LEAP database. 

Jim thanked Shane and presented him with a certificate, stating that a mosquito net has been purchased in his name for someone in a village in PNG.