Epping Police Station hosted a Harmony Day event that kicked off Cultural Diversity Week across the state.
Inspector Chris Allen for Whittlesea said it was all about celebrating our differences and bringing the community together.
“From a police perspective, we thought it would be a great idea to put on a lunch for our members from our multicultural community to come and break some bread,” he said.
The idea behind the initiative was to get local Victoria Police who were born overseas from various backgrounds to bring a dish from their country of origin to share with the members of the community who turned up.
There were 20-25 residents who attended the lunch with Inspector Allen pleased with the turnout.
“From the size of the table outside and the food that was put on, it was a tremendous day and no one left hungry.”
The day was set out to help build a rapport between Victoria police and the many diverse backgrounds in the area.
“We wanted to break down barriers which we know exist sometimes with perceptions of police from multicultural communities, to let them know that we are more alike than different,” Mr Allen said.
Acting Senior Sergeant Megan Cartledge organised the day and deemed it a success.
“We want to make them aware that we’re there for them and we’re a part of the community too,” she said.
