Ilo Diaz from The Centre Against Racial Profiling joins Nana on Baseline to discuss his recently published report, A Tale of Two Cities: The Hidden Geography of Police Powers in Victoria.

The report examines the designated areas declared in the Government Gazette between 2009 and 2014, the relevant crime rates, and the demographics of the communities affected. Ilo breaks down the discretionary power police exercise through designated areas, explains the concept of “hub policing,” and walks through the methodology underpinning the report. He also outlines how his research shows that the use of designated areas targets racialised communities and further entrenches systemic racism.

“I looked at 22 local government areas, and not all of them were policed. It was the ones that didn’t get any designated areas that were interesting — because those are all white and affluent. The thesis is: police don’t follow crime, they follow the people who live there. And I think it continues, that sentence doesn’t end there. The second half is — they protect affluent white communities.”

Keep up with The Centre Against Racial Profiling here.