SWAN View Senior High School students met with police officers from the Aboriginal Affairs Division at a recent assembly to discuss responsible driving.

The officers arrived in a Maserati vehicle which had been confiscated by WA Police in February and has since been repurposed into a patrol car.

The meeting was led by Aboriginal Affairs Division assistant director Mechelle Turvey who the police said shared a close bond with the Swan View school and its students.

The meeting was part of an ongoing effort to foster a positive attitude towards police and encourage students to consider a pathway in the police force.

Ms Turvey said communicating with young people was an important role for police officers in order to create good relationships in the community.

“Yarning is the greatest tool to break down barriers,” she said.

“Creating and building upon respectful and trusting relationships between police and community is vital.

“Starting this in the school yards is a great start.”

Ms Turvey has advocated strongly for better community relations between police and victims and has drawn on her own tragic experiences in life to inform law enforcement one better ways to engage victims.

The Take Five training sessions were a first in the state introduced by Ms Turvey to help police officers handle sensitive cases with more compassion, after her experiences with police following the death of her son Cassius Turvey.

After she felt there was a lack of care in handling her case, she was glad to get onboard and give officers insight into how to do more than just follow procedure but to treat people with empathy while getting the job done.

“Our children and young people should not feel threatened by the blue shirt,” Ms Turvey said.

Swan View Senior High School principal George Sekulla said the visit was an impressive showing but also carried a deeper message he hoped young people in the community would take onboard.

“We were delighted to welcome the Aboriginal Affairs team and the Maserati patrol car to our school assembly earlier this term,” he said.

“The visit created a real buzz with students and staff, and at the same time carried such an important message about road safety and community responsibility.”