The abuse, neglect and exploitation of older people, people with a disability and people experiencing homelessness affects some of the most vulnerable members of society.
The NSW Police Force is committed to keeping everyone safe from victimisation and harm, no matter if it occurs in a home, a care facility or the broader community.
Our strategic focus is to maintain a highly capable workforce that consistently delivers informed, empathetic and equitable policing responses. This means providing supports (such as referrals to Auslan interpreters and the Justice Advocacy Service) as soon as needs are recognised and mitigating accessibility barriers whenever it is feasible to do so.
To help achieve our goals we will:
- Safeguard and strengthen vulnerable communities to reduce victimisation and build resiliency.
- Ensure NSWPF consistently delivers an inclusive, informed and equitable response.
- Partner with key stakeholders to develop the cross-sector support needed to respond to all forms of abuse, neglect and exploitation.
- Maintain effective leadership and oversight mechanisms to drive innovation, collaboration and accountability.
Assistant Commissioner Leanne McCusker, Corporate Sponsor
How to contact the police if you have a hearing or speech impairment
There are several ways to contact the NSW Police:
TTY (Type and Read)
People who wish to use TTY (Type and Read) can:
- contact emergency services by calling 133 677, then entering 000#
- contact the Police Assistance Line (for non-urgent police assistance, reporting minor crime and general enquiries) by calling 133 677, then entering 131 444#
- contact Crime Stoppers (to report criminal information) by calling 133 677, then entering 1800 333 000#
- contact the NSW Police Force InfoLink Unit (for information requests in accordance with legislation) by calling 133 677, then entering 02 9211 3776#.
Voice Relay
People who wish to use Voice Relay via the National Relay Service (NRS) can:
- contact emergency services by calling 1800 555 727, then entering 1
- contact the Police Assistance Line (for non-urgent police assistance, reporting minor crime and general enquiries) by calling 1800 555 727, then providing the number 131 444
- contact Crime Stoppers (to report criminal information) by calling 1800 555 727, then providing the number 1800 333 000
- contact the NSW Police Force InfoLink Unit (for information requests in accordance with legislation) by calling 1800 555 727, then providing the number (02) 9211 3776.
Community Portal
People who wish to make a police report online can use the NSW Police Force Community Portal.
Aged Crime Prevention Officers
Aged Crime Prevention Officers (ACPOs) are specialist members of Crime Prevention Units. Their primary responsibility is to develop strategies to prevent, disrupt and respond to the exploitation, abuse and neglect of vulnerable people.
There are currently 12 ACPO positions at the following locations:
Key Stakeholders
Ageing and Disability Commission
An independent agency of the NSW Government, the purpose of the Ageing and Disability Commission (ADC) is to:
- Raise community awareness to reduce and prevent abuse, neglect and exploitation of older people and adults with disability
- Receive and respond to reports or allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation of an older person or adult with disability
- Provide support and information to those at need
- Run an investigation (if required)
- Report and advise the government on related systemic issues.
ADC works closely with NSWPF, other regulatory bodies and government agencies to support information sharing and referral pathways.
ADC also runs the NSW Ageing and Disability Abuse Helpline a free service that provides information, support and allows people to report abuse, neglect and exploitation of older people and adults with disability.
To contact the helpline, call 1800 628 221 (available Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm).
The Justice Advocacy Service (JAS) helps support young people and adults with cognitive impairment in contact with the NSW criminal justice system, including as victims, witnesses and suspects/defendants to exercise their rights and fully participate in the process.
If a police officer believes that a person may have a cognitive impairment, they should make a referral to JAS immediately by calling 1300 665 908.
Legal Aid NSW Elder Abuse Service
Based at the Gosford Legal Aid Office, the service is focussed on supporting older people at risk of or experiencing elder abuse. It is made up of both lawyers and social workers to support older people to find appropriate remedies for their circumstances.
Link2home is a statewide information and referral service to assist homeless people and those at risk of homelessness. It provides information, conducts assessments, as well as makes referrals to homelessness services across NSW.
Its telephone service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year on 1800 152 152.
The purpose of the NSW Trustee and Guardian is to protect, promote and support the rights, dignity, choices and wishes of the people of NSW. It acts as an independent and impartial Executor, Administrator, Attorney and Trustee for the people of NSW, with services including wills and estate planning, deceased estates, financial management and guardianship orders.
Key Resources
These have been developed by the Ageing and Disability Commission to make it as easy as possible for police to recognise and respond to abuse and neglect in the community.
Abuse of Older People and People With Disability Easy to Read Guide
NSWPF has created this Easy To Read Guide to help explain abuse in a clear and concise way.
Elder Abuse Prevention Toolkit
This comprehensive toolkit was developed by the NSW Elder Abuse Helpline to help people engage with older people who may be at risk of, or are experiencing, abuse.
Protocol for Homeless People in Public Places
The protocol guides police, other government agencies, non-government organisations, and private businesses when interacting with people experiencing homelessness, so they are treated respectfully, with dignity, and do not face discrimination.
Funded by the Australian Government, Compass brings together the best resources and information on elder abuse from across the country.