4 February 2009

Police Wrap - 4 February

| johnboy
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1. The Chifley collision report is now online, clarifying where the contentious “Islander” description came from:

    ACT Policing is seeking witnesses to an incident in which a car has collided with a house in Chifley today (February 1).

    Around 7.20am, a green Holden Commodore sedan collided with a residence causing significant damage to an exterior wall. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene shortly afterwards. None of the residents were injured in the collision.

    The driver is described as being male, of Islander appearance, approximately 6′ (183cm) tall, with a shaven head and wearing a grey t-shirt with black and white stripes and grey tracksuit pants.

2. Acting Superintendent Peter Davis astonished the public is following the example of the Chief Justice and the Minister for Corrections, on a matter the Chief Minister is advocating taking out of the courts:

    ACT Policing has detected 137 drivers found to have an excessive blood-alcohol reading in January 2009.

    The highest result over of the month was returned by a 19-year-old male on Furneaux Street. His reading was more than 10 times the legal limit of his provisional license at 0.217.

    ACT Policing’s Traffic Operations Acting Superintendent Peter Davis said he is astonished motorists continue to drink drive despite the targeted police operations and the regular media warnings.

    “While the number caught is down from December when 190 drink drivers were detected, the number in January is still too high. Our statistics on fatal accidents show that every drink driver we take off the road potentially saves a life in Canberra,” A/Supt Davis said.

    ACT Policing is urging Canberrans to heed its message on the dangers of drink driving to assist the Territory to ensure a low road toll in 2009. In January the ACT was the only state or territory to be fatality free.

    “This highlights that our goal of nine or less in 09 is achievable if we all continue to work together. Don’t become complacent because a fatal accident can happen at any time, police are doing their part, the community now has to decide that drink-driving is a completely unacceptable practice,” A/Supt Davis said.

    “All Canberrans should make it clear to family and friends that there is no excuse for drinking and driving and people are dying because of it.”

    Police will continue to conduct breath testing in all areas of Canberra throughout 2009.

3. Suspicious blaze at Griffith Shops:

    ACT Policing is seeking witnesses to a suspicious fire at the Griffith Shops about 10.45pm yesterday (February 3).

    The fire at the front of the Shoprite Supermarket caused minor damage to the store, estimated at $2,000.

    The area was cordoned off by police and a crime scene established. AFP Forensic Services attended the scene this morning, and police inquiries are continuing (February 4).

If you can help police contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via the Crime Stoppers website on www.act.crimestoppers.com.au.

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justin heywood9:39 am 05 Feb 09

Woody-Man Caruso wrote :

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

Asian – person with slanty eyes. I passed high school geography. I guess pig ignorance really is bliss.

Mr. Caruso, when accusing others of ignorant racist stereotyping, it is important to be accurate yourself. Otherwise, you run the risk of appearing foolish.

‘Asians’ are not necessarily ‘slanty-eyed’, as any Pakistani will tell you, nor are ‘slanty-eye’ people necessarily Asian, as an Inuit could also tell you.

In addition, the ‘slanty-eyed’ people to which you refer to may find tht term offensive, and I know how sensitive you are to ofensve terms.

I hope this helps you avoid ignorant racist stereotyping in the future. Rehards, Justin

Ah, Woody shows his true colours. I did have a Samoan describe a Tongan to me as ‘that black c… over there’. I found that kind of funny myself. But hey what would I know about abuse because of how I look I’m a white Australian male. Oh I almost forgot add Ranga to that.

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

I think that Woody was after the specific Pacific Island Nation

No, you spastic, I want them to give a description that’s useful so that somebody can catch this numpty and lock him up. If you can keep Caucasian, Asian, Aboriginal etc all sorted in that peanut-sized piece of crap you call a brain, I’m sure you can add one more and learn the difference between Polynesian and Melanesian. Try it. Pol – y – ne – sian. That wasn’t too hard, was it? And now I can stop looking for a bald black guy.

I hope he gets equally snippy the next time an offender is described as Caucasian or Asian.

Why would I? Caucasian – white person. Asian – person with slanty eyes. Potential for mixing these up? Zero. Islander? Well, f.cked if I know, but then I passed high school geography. I guess pig ignorance really is bliss. I can stop wondering how police arrest or shoot the wrong person now. “Wait, you mean, like, from Tonga? Oh, sh.t. Quick, pull that baton out of his butt. We’re sorry, Mr Rabuka.”

Ah, the old, abuse somebody cause you realise they have a point tactic. Nice.

You said: It’s contentious because it’s useless and you were wrong. See how easy it is to not abuse while making a point? Also, if you think that all ‘Islanders’ fit into the ‘bald black guy’ description you can hardly try to give out lessons on the difference between Polynesian and Melanesian. BTW I have lived and worked in the Pacific Islands which might just give me some insight here….

What if the guy wasn’t from an island at all? What if the witness(es) only saw him for a split second and couldn’t identify the facial structure? What if people just took other people’s descriptions for exactly that – other people’s? What if…..Who Cares. He looked like an islander, so he’s an islander.

If he’s caught, I’m sure they’ll need more than just the witness description to charge him (or was it a her?) “But officer, she had boobs.” “Wrong son, HE had man-boobs.”

spacific islanders

Whereas Caucasian is a great descriptor, covering everything from nordic blondes to hulking welshmen…

Deckard said :

So have they apprehended this ‘Islander’??

Dammit Deckard, get with the program! You can’t call someone an ‘Islander’. You need to specify WHICH island. Some of us really know our islands, and we are really anxious that everyone knows that we really know our islands.

I think in future it’s probably safest to describe these people as non-Asian, non-Caucasian, non-Aboriginal, non-Melanesian, and let people work it out by a process of elimination.

Unless you really know your islands…

So have they apprehended this ‘Islander’??

Roadrage77 said :

Call me a round eye and I’ll kill you.

With an attitude like that, do you get called Gwailo by the locals whenever you visit Chinatown?

“Pacific Islander”clarifies and describes a geographic region, vaguely describes a possible ethnicity, and doesn’t target any specific minority from that region.

If you aren’t on close terms with your audience, “Islander” just reinforces whatever stereotype they have in mind, or already associates with islands (Christmas vs Timor vs Groote vs Thursday vs Solomon vs Tonga vs Norfolk, etc).

Criminals all look the same to me.

In future let’s cut the abuse of other commenters out while making a point eh?

Woody Mann-Caruso8:57 pm 04 Feb 09

I think that Woody was after the specific Pacific Island Nation

No, you spastic, I want them to give a description that’s useful so that somebody can catch this numpty and lock him up. If you can keep Caucasian, Asian, Aboriginal etc all sorted in that peanut-sized piece of crap you call a brain, I’m sure you can add one more and learn the difference between Polynesian and Melanesian. Try it. Pol – y – ne – sian. That wasn’t too hard, was it? And now I can stop looking for a bald black guy.

I hope he gets equally snippy the next time an offender is described as Caucasian or Asian.

Why would I? Caucasian – white person. Asian – person with slanty eyes. Potential for mixing these up? Zero. Islander? Well, f.cked if I know, but then I passed high school geography. I guess pig ignorance really is bliss. I can stop wondering how police arrest or shoot the wrong person now. “Wait, you mean, like, from Tonga? Oh, sh.t. Quick, pull that baton out of his butt. We’re sorry, Mr Rabuka.”

i’m quite big on political correctness and islander works for me.

10% of people wouldn’t connect with the term polynesian.

Call me a round eye and I’ll kill you.

Making an accurate description is hardly PC for the sake of PC surely?

I’ve used the term in conversation myself, but now I think about it I see the error of my ways.

Political correctness has gone far enough. If of islander appearance helps identify the person then great. Maybe it is the description that was provided.

I dunno, given that people of every shape, size, and colour live on islands it’s probably sensible to say polynesian if that’s what’s intended?

DJ said :

(DJ)”Ah, I see the problem here. I think that Woody was after the specific Pacific Island Nation of the alleged driver and if possible the specific tribal ancestory?”

I hope he gets equally snippy the next time an offender is described as Caucasian or Asian.
Somehow, I doubt it.

Ah, I see the problem here. I think that Woody was after the specific Pacific Island Nation of the alleged driver and if possible the specific tribal ancestory?

Obviously he can tell the difference. I suppose the broad description of the person as being Islander was racist and that there are also considerable issues brought up when other people are described as african, caucasian, asian, indian etc….

It still helps to jog my memory Woody – it can be a valid point you make but it doesn’t apply in this case.

The car was green after all.

I assumed he was from Ireland.

“Islander” on its own is just useless crap though.

Woody Mann-Caruso4:20 pm 04 Feb 09

Because assuming somebody makes the leap from ‘Islander’ to ‘Pacific Islander’ rather than, say, Torres Strait Islander, the tag doesn’t tell you whether the person is:

– Melanesian, with very dark skin and black, tightly curled hair; or
– Polynesian, with dark to brown straight hair, much lighter skin and a completely different facial structure to Melanesian people.

Go do a Google image search for “Cook Islanders” and “Solomon Islanders” and tell me they look anything alike.

“of Pacific Islander appearance” has been a policy approved clarifying descriptor for police investigations since at least 1999.

From: http://www.apmab.gov.au/news/news99/99_10.html (about halfway down)
Some examples of good practice guidelines that form a key part of the policy
Make descriptions of people as precise and objective as possible and use non-discriminatory and non-offensive language. This will help readers to focus on the actual description rather than react emotively to certain expressions, generally unintended ones.

Always emphasise physical characteristics first and then give information on ethnic appearance if it is relevant, necessary and has been positively identified.

Do not be selective when giving information of an alleged offender’s ethnic appearance. When the suspect is of white/ Anglo/ European /English appearance then this should be stated in exactly the same way in which details on ethnicity are given for offenders of other ethnic appearances.

Once a case has progressed beyond the identification/negative stage, then any statements issued to the media about an offender should not include any information on ethnic appearance as this is unnecessary and may promote racial tension.

Descriptions can only focus on a person’s appearance and may therefore not reflect their actual background.

Woody – if it helps jog someone’s memory how is it useless? Please explain.

Isn’t a Jamaican a Jamaican. He would be of Jamaican appearance. Noted for fleeing the scene in a cloud of smoke, wearing a colourful hat.

Deadmandrinking2:06 pm 04 Feb 09

Was he Jamaican?

He may have fled the scene in a canoe wearing a grass skirt.

Woody Mann-Caruso1:01 pm 04 Feb 09

It’s contentious because it’s useless.

How can “Islander” be contentious? It is a descriptor that might help nab an alleged crim.

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