Last month, we celebrated the graduation of our inaugural cohort of First Nations participants from the Victoria Police Diversity Recruitment Program. Seven graduates represented seven Aboriginal groups, including Yorta Yorta, Palawa, Taungurung, Arrernte, Gunaikurnai, Yamatji, Wongi and Gunditjmara mobs, and live in both metro and regional areas of Victoria. Assistant Commissioner, Luke Cornelius, joined the group and their families highlighting the significance of the program in supporting an “extraordinary range of highly talented people from diverse backgrounds”. “We’ve long understood in policing, and we forget it to our cost, that we cannot police effectively unless we represent and reflect the community we police,” he said. For Yamatji woman Laila, becoming a police officer was a lifelong dream that felt out of reach due to challenges faced around the entrance exam. At the ceremony, Laila addressed her fellow graduates reflecting on new insights and connections gained th...