Police station open day a celebration of culture and community in Katanning as $1.6m station upgrade unveiled

Katanning police hosted a celebration of art and culture at the unveiling of their new-look station last week to demonstrate the healing relationships between police and the community. Representatives from all walks of the Katanning community turned out for an open day at the station, which has undergone a $1.6 million upgrade, including a new gym, interior layout and interview rooms. The main feature of the revamp is a new sally port garage — a secure enclosure that closes and locks once vehicles enter. The Katanning Community Open Day was a chance for police to share the changes and bring the community together. Katanning Noongar elder Gabrielle Hansen was invited to open the ceremony with a welcome to country — a platform she used to speak about how time was healing what once was a difficult relationship between police and Indigenous people. Ms Hansen was named the Southern Aboriginal Corporation elder of the year late last month for her unwavering advocacy for the Noongar community and in recognition of her work in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission. Baldjamaar Foundation’s Damien Yarran and Lincoln Woods performed a celebration dance at the launch. Katanning police Sen. Sgt Carlos Correia acknowledged the traditional custodians of the land and outlined the history of policing in the region. “Policing in this area in the early days was without doubt very difficult and involved many days riding through the various areas to complete many and varied tasks,” he said. “Now, after some 38 years, the Katanning Police Station has undergone $1.6m of building renovations and now sits as a contemporary policing building that will cater for local community needs and improve welfare and safety of police officer, and those people who find themselves in police custody.” Community-inspired artworks were hung up in the foyer of the police station. In June, Katanning police called on local schools to produce artwork around the the themes of community, relationships, inclusivity, multiculturalism, Indigenous culture, bridging gaps and togetherness. Braeside, Katanning and St Patrick’s primary schools joined Katanning Senior High School in presenting their interpretations of the theme. Sen. Sgt Correia described the artwork as “sensational”. Local emergency services, including St John Ambulance, the SES and volunteer firefighters, hosted stalls after the presentations. A pop-up COVID-19 Pfizer vaccination clinic was set up alongside the station, with WA Country Health Service Great Southern regional director Geraldine Ennis receiving her booster shot on the day. Ms Ennis said more pop-up vaccination clinics needed to be held across the Great Southern to boost vaccination rates, especially among Aboriginal and linguistically diverse people.