Welcome to the Tasmania Police page for our community outreach van, Poli.

Poli and the Tasmania Police community engagement team enable us to deliver services and information directly to the communities and community groups who need them, through attendance at community events or standalone visits.

With Poli, we are:

• Increasing community engagement: Enhancing direct interactions between Tasmania Police and local communities across Tasmania, to continue to build and foster trust and open communication.
• Increasing access to services: Providing a convenient means for members of the public to access police services, especially vulnerable and rural groups and those who prefer face-to-face interactions.
• Earning the trust of vulnerable communities: Strengthening relationships with communities and educating and promoting the importance of reporting issues such as child sexual abuse.

Together with partnering organisations like Neighbourhood Watch, PCYC, and Crime Stoppers, Poli and the team are available to visit communities and community groups around the state, as well as attend local events, including schools, community and sporting events.

Officers onboard Poli can:

• Discuss local crime issues and provide crime prevention and general advice to residents and business owners
• Provide information and resources about personal, residential, and business safety, as well as child safety and safeguarding
• Customise visits to your community or community group’s needs

On this page you’ll find:

• Our calendar of events and Poli enquiry/booking form
• A gallery of our most recent activities
• Downloadable resources and safety tips

Coming soon to your community:

August

September

October

November

December

Resources and safety tips

Safety tips

• Personal safety tips
• Online safety tips for children and young people 
• Home safety tips
• General safety tips for businesses
• Shoplifting prevention tips for businesses

Other key resources

• Keeping children safe website – information on what to do and who to call if you believe or suspect that a child is at risk of harm
• Crime Stoppers – report crime or suspicious activity anonymously
• Neighbourhood Watch – a community-based crime prevention program which aims to improve the quality of life within a neighbourhood by minimising the incidence of preventable crime.

Gallery

Poli the Police engagement van on the road

Poli Launch 2025

Poli Launch 2025

Police Commissioner Donna Adams at Poli Launch 2025

Poli’s story

The Poli community outreach initiative has been developed to increase police visibility in the Tasmanian community and improve community engagement with Tasmania Police for the purpose of preventing, identifying and reporting child sexual abuse and other crimes.

The initiative is a direct response to recommendations from the Wiess Review, Tasmania Police Community Survey and Commission of Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings, and aims to proactively bring services and information to communities who need them or have traditionally had little or no opportunity to engage with Tasmania Police.

Poli has the flexibility to visit regional, rural or metro areas, and be a part of existing public events, as well as be used for standalone visits to community groups including, but not limited to:

• Aboriginal community
• Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities
• Elderly population
• Regional and remote communities
• Disability groups
• LGBTIQA+ community
• Children and young people
• Schools
• Sporting clubs
• People experiencing homelessness
• Individuals and/or communities who have not had positive experiences with police/law enforcement in the past
• Businesses
• Local government/councils

If you are involved in a community or sporting group, school or other event, and think it would be valuable to have Poli and the Community Engagement team attend your event, please submit a request via the online request form below.

Book Poli for your next community event!

Tasmanian community groups can submit a request for Tasmania Police’s community engagement van, Poli, to be deployed to your local area. 

Poli booking requests help inform police where community members and business owners would like to see a stronger police presence, and officers on board Poli are able to discuss local crime issues and provide crime prevention and general advice to residents and business owners alike.

To submit a request for Poli to attend your next community event, simply fill in the enquiry form below and one of our Community Engagement Team members will be in touch to discuss Poli’s availability.

Please also reach out if you have an opportunity that doesn’t require Poli’s presence but would benefit from having the Tasmania Police Community Engagement Team attend.

Note: All requests for Poli deployments are considered in conjunction with current intelligence and operational demands.

Sponsored by Telstra

To help Poli bring police services to remote and rural areas of Tasmania – reliable and high-speed internet connectivity is a must!

Thanks to Telstra, Poli is kitted out with Telstra’s satellite internet technology, and free 4G access and Wi-Fi for you to use when we visit your community.

The partnership with Poli aligns with Telstra’s mission to connect and empower communities. To find out more, visit www.telstra.com.au/sustainability/communities.