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Neil
Kittle |
Neil Kittle
believes such visits have made a real difference in eroding the
suspicion some feel towards the police force. " In the past the
only time people would see the police was if there was a problem,"
he says. "It's worked towards the police no longer being seen
as faceless people. When you meet them you realise that they are
human and people see them in a different light".
Sgt Clabon
acknowledges that the police have been slow to act in the past,
and says that part of the CCO's role is to educate within the
force as well. "The attitudes have changed no end", she says.
"We can help our colleagues to think a bit more about what these
people are suffering and what we can do to stop it happening,
to prosecute people who are committing crimes."
PC Lyn Bryan
has recently taken over as Force Liaison Officer for the county.
Her role involves monitoring homophobic crime centrally, and
coordinating the response to it. She says the police are trying
to set up as many points of contact for the public as possible.
Living
in isolation
However
Sgt Clabon admits there is still a long way to go, with contact
particularly difficult in more isolated rural areas. Neil Kittle
suffered homophobic abuse when he was growing up. "I didn't
feel there was anything I could do about it", he says. "The
police station near me was only open twice a week and you were
left feeling there was no option other than sticking it out".
He feels that is changing, and that gay people can expect to
get fairer treatment.
Community
Contact Officers work at police stations in:
Norwich
Great Yarmouth
North Walsham
King's Lynn
Thetford |
The police
hope that with CCOs across the county, people will start to
feel comfortable about contacting them. "In Norwich it's easy
to get out into friendly places", says Sgt Clabon. "In the rural
community we've got to make sure leaflets and literature are
available where people can get easy access to them". She feels
there is still a lot of work to be done with older gay people,
who may not be part of the 'scene' but still encounter harassment.
Sgt Clabon
believes the new approach is working. "We are learning all the
time. We make mistakes but we are learning from them, and hopefully
we won't make them again".
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