Victoria Police Code One singer Lorena Novoa belts out a tune on Friday, much to the delight of Year 11 Hampton Park Secondary College student Christine.By Marc McGowan
VICTORIA Police cover band Code One enthralled Hampton Park Secondary College students on Friday, but had much more than just entertainment on its mind.
The popular police act was there to rock on at the local school, but the value of the exercise was the opportunity to mix with the region’s youth, according to Cranbourne Senior Sergeant Cecily Allan.
“It’s about making us more accessible to them and getting the message across that we’re there to help them and to address their needs as well as those of the rest of the community,” she said.
“We also want to hear what they would like to see happening in Hampton Park to make it a better place to live from a safety and crime prevention point of view.”
Hampton Park Secondary College assistant principal Allison Towner said the event was a raging success and that the students thought it was “really cool”.
“It was absolutely wonderful. They’re fantastic, professional performers who engage the students, and it’s a pleasure to listen to them,” she said.
“Any opportunity to showcase the work of Victoria Police is really positive for young people and we need to work in concert with police and the community.”
The State Government and the City of Casey have targeted Hampton Park as a Community Renewal project to reduce crime in the area, particularly in the younger generation.
“The City of Casey is already working with the State Government, police, and other government and non-government agencies to identify areas of improvement in Hampton Park,” Sen Sgt Allan said.
“I’m interested in providing services and support for the youth of Hampton Park to hopefully encourage them to make better choices.”
The Community Renewal scheme has already been successfully implemented in Doveton.
Sen Sgt Allan believes ideas from the youth in the area will help it be just as prosperous in Hampton Park, and she can be contacted by email at cecily.allan@police.vic.gov.au.
