POLICE in the Southern Grampians area celebrated International Women’s Day (IWD)last Friday over a free coffee with locals from both the Hamilton and Portland communities.

The Hamilton ‘Coffee with a Cop’ event was a very successful day with over 40 drinks poured at The Roxburgh Café by the baristas.

Attendees had the opportunity to chat with two female police members who were on hand to chat about any issues that were of concern and get insight on the life of a police officer and the recruitment process.

Police Sergeant Kelly McNaughton who has been working in the area as a police officer for over 15 years said the day was a huge success.

“It went really well,” she said.

“There was no pressure - it was a really positive interaction.

“One of the most successful interactions in the community I’ve had.

“It was a really casual environment to have conversations.”

Sgt McNaughton said it was the perfect opportunity for people to have a casual chat with a police officer and get insight on the types of things police do in their work and see that police officers are just ordinary people.

She said whilst the issues raised by locals were not extremely urgent, they were nonetheless things that can and do affect people and how they carry out their daily lives.

“We had a variety of things,” she said.

“There were things discussed that you wouldn’t normally take time out to bring to the attention of police.

“Whether it was increased lighting around a venue, or speeding motorists in streets we weren’t aware of that puts children at risk.

“We talked about youth congregating and behavioural issues around certain areas of Hamilton.

“We looked at that from all different angles - (including) connecting with other agencies and looked at ways to support youths better.

“It wasn’t just Hamilton issues we discussed but there were issues raised about outer towns including in Coleraine and Dunkeld - minor issues - safety issues we can work on - a whole list of things we can work through and connect with relevant agencies.”

She said the event was purposely held on IWD to highlight the great work female police officers do in a career that has historically been male dominated but now women make up fifty percent of the organisation.

“It shows we are valued, and we have made a significant impact, and we can have an exciting career,” Sgt McNaughton said.

“People were able to just have a chat about things - sometimes they might see a police officer and think they don’t want to bother them - they look busy – but this gives the opportunity to come and say hello and start a conversation which leads to a good conversation.

“Some people were asking about our equipment - some people were interested in the process of joining.

“There was a big group that came in - they were fascinated to have interaction with police in such a casual setting - normally their only interaction would be getting pulled over or breath tested - we ended up staying four hours instead of two.

“It helps us keep our finger on the pulse too - to hear about what is going on in the community and gives them access to us.”

Sgt McNaughton gave a shout out to The Roxburgh Café for hosting the free event.

“They supported us with funding so we could extend our time there - they donated the coffees.

“We also popped into the supermarket following the event for a chat with locals.

“It was so successful we hope to do it again in around three months’ time.”