The recent fires affecting our area and the rest of the country demonstrated how much we care for each other in our local communities.
Small acts like contacting or visiting your neighbour or someone you know who requires additional support saved lives. The wider community might not notice these acts. They will, however, be noticed by families of the vulnerable separated by distance or other constraints; by emergency service workers; and by the vulnerable themselves.
Communities working together, acting in unison toward a desired outcome, are the quickest and most effective ways to limit serious consequences for people during these times.
Stopping and talking to someone in the street who appears vulnerable; knocking on your neighbour's door to see how they are coping; emailing or telephoning others you know in your community can save lives.
While we wait and are grateful for assistance from tiers of government, the onus of responsibility for ensuring people manage their way out of this crisis remains with you.
We often only see the negative stories when we turn on the news - but the fact is people spend plenty of time caring for others in the most basic way.
Now provides an opportunity for people to care for others in unique ways this situation forces upon us. These include maintaining social distancing, washing your hands regularly, and other instructions by health departments to minimise the spread of the disease.
Ask people you know, or people you might only know of, if they are OK. Reassure them that it is OK to say they aren't coping.
If someone needs help outside your scope, police are often a fantastic conduit to finding help for vulnerable people.
Your local police are similarly affected by this situation, and will continue to serve your community. They have extensive knowledge of the community providers and pathways to those services who help our vulnerable.
One phone call, one conversation, one interaction with an older person can make the difference in easing a difficult situation.
Regional areas of Australia are already resilient. They are well practiced at resilience. It is unheralded resilience, and it provides our communities with the ideal foundations for helping each other.
Regional police are part of this resilience patchwork. We ask all in our Monaro police district communities to behave responsibly and care for the community. That way, all of us will have equitable access to what we need.
A dedicated Aged Crime Prevention Officer can be contacted if you have concerns or questions. Please contact Senior Constables Alex Fookes or Amy Threlfall on 6298 0599.
