Shmooze with the Blues
"In safeguarding the Jewish community, the CSG plays an indispensable role."
Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner for the Southern Metro Region, Russell Barrett, praised his organisation’s excellent relationship with the Jewish community at the annual “Shmooze with the Blues” joint social function with the Community Security Group (CSG) earlier this month.
“An example of our relationship was our recent responses to a suspect placing racist symbols on venues around Caulfield. It was reported to CSG, we utilised their resources and strong links to our organisation to ensure there was a rapid response and arrested the perpetrator,” Barrett said.
He also said work is underway to identify a person involved in the incident in August involving Jewish schoolchildren on a public bus in Elsternwick.
Referring to the bill recently introduced in the Victorian Parliament to ban the Nazi salute, Barrett assured the audience that if passed, Victoria Police will enforce it.
He asked that members of the Jewish community trust the police by reporting incidents.
“We often hear about things that aren’t reported. If we don’t understand it, we can’t respond to it and we can’t put plans in place to prevent it and for me, prevention is where we need to be,” he said.
Antisemitic incidents can also be reported to CSG Victoria.
CSG Victoria CEO Justin Kagan told the gathering, “Our connection with the Victorian Police runs deep. We share information, engage in training, and prepare for potential threats. Together, we embody vigilance and readiness to protect our community.”
He thanked police on behalf of the community, saying through their collective efforts they work tirelessly to achieve the mission of protecting Jewish life.
“In safeguarding the Jewish community, the CSG plays an indispensable role. We have a dedicated team of volunteers who protect our community during routine Shabbat services, major events and the High Holy Days,” Kagan said.
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