The Wire

It’s been just over a year since the inner Sydney suburb of Redfern was the scene of violent clashes between the Aboriginal community and Police, an event notoriously referred to as the ‘Redfern Riot’ in the media. The clash followed the death the 17-year-old Kamilaroi man, TJ Hickey, who the indigenous community claimed was chased by Police officers moments before the pushbike accident that claimed his life. While the riot caused a lot of media focus on the social problems of the area, such as heroin and crime, it also threw a spotlight on the poor relations between police and residents of the Block. Twelve months, on Ray Jackson, the President of the Indigenous Social Justice Association and a prominent spokesman within the Redfern community, spoke to Bill Birtles about whether there had been any changes in the relationship between Police and residents in Sydney’s Aboriginal heartland. Bill also spoke to Detective Inspector Darren Bennett, who is the crime manager at Redfern Police Station.