• Always be aware of your surroundings… especially at night when you’re more vulnerable to bashers and homophobic police officers

• Always be aware where entrances and exits are located
• Always look out for each other… notify others of any danger in the area — keep yourself and others safe
• Always be confident and assertive… avoid any verbal and/or physical confrontation with bashers and homophobic police officers
• Safely remove yourself from any danger… leave the area if you feel unsafe and always follow your gut feeling
• Join others in the area if threatened… try not to scatter, bashers and homophobic officers will often pick off the weakest — there’s greater safety in numbers, and keeping together also provides witnesses should officers do or say anything inappropriate
• Don’t be distracted by music or mobile phones
• Police monitor social networking sites… avoid posting information that may identify you or attract their attention
• We suggest caution if you’re approached by officers

Your Responsibilities

 
It’s important that you take responsibility and play your part to ensure the impact on local residents and other users of the area is reduced.

• Always be discrete — don’t make it too obvious
• Always take care and look out for each other
• Don’t be a nuisance… keep away from areas such as playgrounds during the day
• Always be mindful of noise… especially in residential areas at night
• Always take your litter with you… most complaints to council and police are due to used condoms and general litter being left behind
• Tidy any litter in the area… please pick up any litter and dispose properly
• Respect the environment and don’t venture into re-vegetation areas in National Parks

Why do police patrol beats

 
Police patrol beats for a number of reasons… there may be complaints from local residents or assaults reported in the area — always expect that you may be approached, so it’s best to be prepared.

In relation to offensive behaviour, actual offensive behaviour should be witnessed before approaching a person.

Officers are advised to be courteous and polite at all times, and to undertake ‘high visibility policing’ (i.e. uniformed officers in marked police vehicles), as it may have ‘sufficient deterrent value… without having to engage with members of the public’.

Officers cannot record your personal details into the COPS system, simply because you are in an area that is a ‘known’ beat.

Not all officers are homophobic and many are genuinely concerned for your safety… we support and encourage professional behaviour by officers, however it’s important to identify homophobic and non-responsive officers, and to be aware when officers are not following procedures on policing beats and/or breaking the law themselves — make sure you report it.

• Officers must always be polite and courteous… and should ‘remain objective and professional at all times’.

• Officers MUST patrol beats in pairs at all times… they cannot split off.

• Individual officers cannot patrol beats, approach you, or take your personal and vehicle registration details – they’re not following procedures and must be reported.

• When officers approach you, they must clearly identify themselves and tell you why you’ve been approached before they can ask any questions or “interview” you… if they don’t tell you, you’re allowed to ask for their name, rank and station, and why you’re being questioned.

• Generally, you have the right not to answer police questions – the right to remain silent. You can answer ‘no comment’ to every question, except for your name and address. Remember, police only ask questions to get evidence to incriminate you – anything you say can be taken down and used in evidence against you.

• Officers may ask for your identification and perform a background check… there is no general law in NSW that requires you to identify yourself to a police officer… our experience indicates they may attempt to intimidate you, so we suggest you provide this information.

Officers must be respectful and courteous at all times… they cannot make inappropriate or homophobic comments, and cannot ask if you’re a homosexual — this is vilification and against the law.

Inappropriate comments include:

• You’re a homosexual aren’t you…
• We know what you’re doing here…
• You’re one of ‘them’, aren’t you…
• Go home to your wife and children…

Be aware that officers may play ‘good cop, bad cop’… they may try to engage you in small talk, or act offended (“I was only trying to be friendly”)… or attempt to intimidate you so you respond negatively (“we know what you’re doing here”) — don’t bite or play their game.

Officers may perform a background check to look for another reason or excuse to intimidate you and/or fine or charge you.

Be aware that plain-clothed officers are known to ‘act’ like beat users and may try to entrap you and/or play ‘agent provocateur’… this is against police procedure — report any encounter immediately.

Be aware that officers are also known to perform illegal searches of men, their computers, and vehicles — report any encounter immediately, we can assist you with legal advice.

What do I do if approached

 
If approached by officers:

• Always remain calm if approached by officers, or you see lights approaching in the distance… officers will approach you if they find you in the area
• DO NOT RUN — officers are trained to chase and may put you at risk of injury, even though it may sometimes be difficult to differentiate between bashers and homophobic officers — running away implies you’re ‘guilty’ of something
• Calmly walk to safety… officers do not care if you thought they were bashers and you’re running because you were afraid for your safety
• There’s no need to be afraid of officers… it’s NOT ILLEGAL to be in a public place at any hour of the day — remain calm, join other men in the area and walk to safety — DO NOT RUN
• Always speak to officers in a confident and polite manner… officers have been known to be disrespectful and will try to intimidate you, and will intimidate you further if they know you’re scared of them
• Uniformed and Plain-Clothed Officers must clearly identify themselves on approach and before they question you
• You’re allowed to ask why you’re being questioned
• You’re allowed to ask for the officers name, rank and station and to see identification… especially if you believe the officer is being homophobic and/or treating you inappropriately
• Always remain calm if you’re approached by officers… follow their direction if they ask you to move on — even if you don’t agree or they try provoke you with an inappropriate comment — officers may also ask for your identification and what you’re doing in the area
• Be aware that officers may behave in an aggressive manner toward you… DO NOT bite back
• Always be polite and courteous – never swear or get angry toward an officer – even if provoked… if you don’t agree, ask for the officers name, rank and station and advise them you will make a complaint against them – calmly walk away
• Note what officers did and said to you… officers may try to intimidate you and/or make inappropriate comments — officers are also known to perform a background check and attempt to intimidate men with an unrelated matter.
• Make sure you sight the officers identification… uniformed officers must clearly display their identification at all times, and they cannot cover their badge.
• Always note the vehicle make and registration if approached by officers in an unmarked vehicle.
• Ensure plain-clothed officers clearly identify themselves on approach – bashers often identify themselves as officers — if you’re in doubt and afraid for your safety, call for help and remove yourself from the situation — alert others to danger — immediately notify police on 000 – even if they really are plain-clothed officers that refused to identify themselves
• If officers refuse to give you their name, rank and station… this is against police procedure – you have every right to request this information, and they must tell you. If they persist, DO NOT argue with them, but simply make note of vehicle registration and details, date and time – this will help you identify the officer.
• Officers CANNOT ask if you’re gay, married or in a relationship… this is inappropriate conduct and you do not have to respond to this question… simply ask for the officers name, rank and station and advise them that you will be making a complaint… calmly and confidently walk away and report the incident
• Discrimination by officers is unacceptable and against the law — immediately report any incident with homophobic police officers — consider lodging a formal complaint against the officer
• Consider making a complaint against homophobic police officers — it’s easy and we can help
• You have the right to take photographs of officers, but you cannot record their voice without informing them first.

If you’ve been approached by a homophobic officer, please REPORT or send us an EMAIL.

We can also assist if you prefer not to contact police… please REPORT or send us an EMAIL


If you’re confronted by bashers or assaulted:

• Remain calm and never put yourself in harms way
• Move to safety – Never yell back or provoke them
• Always alert others to any danger in the area — look out for each other
• Always stay close to others if possible — try not to scatter, there’s greater safety in numbers
• Safely assist others in harms way – dial 000 and tell them VERY LOUDLY that police are on the way
• Safely monitor their activity… note description of bashers or vehicle registration details – this may better assist police to identify bashers

When speaking with police to report the incident:

• Remain calm when you report to 000… the operator will assist you — stay focussed — provide as much information as possible… you can also request to remain anonymous.
• Speak openly and honestly… officers cannot dismiss your report or intimidate you because you were in the area – report if they do
• Provide a Victim Statement… bashers know that most men will not report or ‘out’ themselves to police, which only encourages them further (aka vigilante empowerment)

The current Crime Prevention approach to policing beats has resulted in greater fear and mistrust of police… many men have indicated they would not report hate-crime to police, whether as a result of previous negative experiences with officers and/or fear of being ‘outed’.

Many men also fear of reprisals from officers, and fear retribution from vigilante residents and bashers.

From the police perspective, they cannot catch these vigilante criminals without a victim, witness statements, and reports… we have a responsibility to work with police and inform them of hate-related crime – so let’s report it, and work toward implementing a fresh approach to address these issues and build trust — without judgement or shame.

There is also a very real concern that officers may be turning a blind-eye to vigilante behaviour and hate-related crime, and ignoring reports from men who’ve been physically and verbally assaulted. This raises serious concerns about the safety of men, and the possibility of misconduct and corruption across several Regional Commands and by Senior Management.

We will continue to actively encourage NSW Police to adopt guidelines from the UK on effectively policing beats… and initiatives in Amsterdam, where beat use is no longer considered to be a criminal activity.