Policing in a Multicultural Society: A Queensland Case Study

This paper reports the findings of an evaluation study of a pilot, police‐led initiative to promote interaction between Chinese youth and police in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. The roles of this Youth Group were to assist in the development of a culturally competent police service, to fulfil the traditional social service orientation of the police, and to improve police–public relations. Two research methods, including self‐administered, structured questionnaires and semi‐structured interviews were used to collect the views of the youth and the key personnel of the Youth Group, respectively. Both quantitative and qualitative data gathered during the evaluation of the Youth Group describes a project that has achieved satisfactory outcomes for both the participating young people and Queensland Police Service (QPS) staff. Other themes worthy of consideration by the QPS in the pursuit of delivering a service that is informed and responsive to the cultural needs of its community were identified. Recommendations were suggested to improve the quality and outcome of the initiative in the future.