Swan Valley Fringedwellers --- "Swan Valley Fringedwellers: Letter to the Ombudsman" [1988] AboriginalLawB 4; (1988) 1(30) Aboriginal Law Bulletin 3

• Swan Valley Fringedwellers: Letter To The Ombudsman
• 22 January 1988

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Swan Valley Fringedwellers: Letter to the Ombudsman

We, the fringedwellers of the Swan Valley, the first inhabitants, the original owners, want you, the Ombudsman of the Western Australian Government, to make an investigation. We want a Government Inquiry. We don't want Police enquiring into their own problems they created.

We want this police provoking stopped. We don't want it continuing on, trying to force the Aboriginal People into violence.

We want these complaints investigated immediately. (For details of their complaints see article on 'Harassment' in this issue of AboriginalLB.) We're not questioning that Police Officers should do their duty. It is the attitude and the manner in which they aregoingabout it. They are breaking their own Law. They are not respecting their own Law. Robert Bropho:

Do it properly and with dignity and honour this uniform what you're wearing.

We respect the uniform and what it represents if there is a man or a woman inside of it.

We don't respect that uniform if there's a bastard in it.

If you want a request done, I've got to have time. You've got to be patient and let me go about it our way and that way there'll be co-operation between us.

22 January 1988

Through and since these incidents last week the police is now this week constantly harassing Aboriginal people in cars, following them around the Bassendean, Lockridge, Midland and Guildford areas and stopping the Aboriginal peoplefor what reasons we don't know. We can't go to the stores without being questioned. Our children are being pulled up.

The police say they are "only doing their duty", but they are not doing the same to white people. We want two constables removed - Constable 6326 and Constable 6644 - from that area of Lockridge immediately. They are discriminating against blackfellas, Aboriginal people.

We also want Sergeant 4019 removed for his attitude against Aboriginal people, enticing his constables to act in a wrongful manner.

We want you to go ahead with this inquiry. We want some action taken.

Fringedwellers of the Swan Valley

Lockridge Campsite

Sauders Street

Cullacabardee,

Lockridge Area and Midland Area