Stawell police delivering more than meals

In the heart of Victoria’s Wimmera region, a ‘meals on wheels’ program is bringing police and locals closer together.

To support vulnerable members of the community in Stawell, police members are working alongside local council to deliver meals to residents once a month.

But the deliveries offer more than just dinner.

They provide Stawell’s Proactive Policing Unit with the opportunity to check in on residents they wouldn’t usually see while out on patrol.

The member behind the initiative, Senior Constable Abby Harrisson, came up with the idea to ensure isolated members of the community – particularly single elderly residents – felt both safe, and heard.

“About two years ago I reached out to Northern Grampians Council and Community Care to see if we could assist with their meals-on-wheels program, because I thought we might be able to add some value,” Sen Const Harrisson said.

“And since then, our unit has been assisting with meal delivery about once or twice a month.

“This involves myself and my offsider, Senior Constable Owen Lyons, collecting meals from the local hospital, delivering them to vulnerable community members at home, and sitting down to have a chat with them about anything they might be worried about, or need advice on.”

While conversations vary from home to home, ‘online scams' are always a hot topic.

Residents often ask Sen Const Harrisson for help identifying suspicious emails and texts and, sometimes, even letters.

“Usually, if a community member has received something they think might be a scam, they’ll ask me to take a look at their phone. But on one occasion, a woman we visited had been receiving letters pertaining to a romance scam,” Sen Const Harrisson said.

“Fortunately, we were able to explain to her that the letters weren’t legitimate, preventing her from becoming a victim.

“But if we hadn’t delivered her meals that month, we wouldn’t have been able to help.”

After just a couple of visits, Sen Const Harrisson realised that the residents might benefit from attending some of the Proactive Policing Unit’s scam and home safety sessions.

So, last year, the unit began conducting tailored sessions for seniors groups, the local bowling club, Stawell’s University of the Third Age, and other community organisations that meal recipients are involved with.

“The sessions are well attended by those we deliver meals to, as well as other members of the community, which has been really good to see,” Sen Const Harrisson said.

Proactive policing with a twist

Senior Constable Lyons, who’s delivered proactive policing initiatives alongside Sen Const Harrisson since 2023, said the days he does home visits are easily some of his favourite days on the job.

“I started with Stawell’s Proactive Policing Unit in 2023, after 10 years in general duties, and feel very lucky to be able to work with my colleagues to deliver unique programs like these,” Sen Const Lyons said.

“Being able to assist vulnerable or older members of our community who might be susceptible to crimes like online scams is extremely rewarding.

“When we visit, they’re always so happy to see us, and of course, never let us out the door without imparting some of their wisdom or sharing a story.”

In the two years that local police members have been involved in Stawell’s meal delivery program, they’ve met community members from all walks of life.

And while Sen Const Harrisson and Sen Const Lyons would never admit to having favourites, there are a couple of community members who always stand out.

“One of our meal recipients, Norma, is a lovely lady whose late husband was a police officer at Stawell for quite some time, so she’s very invested in community safety and what’s going on in town,” Sen Const Harrisson said.

“And another one of our community members, Allen, always has a smile on his face when we come to visit – especially when he’s keen to show us an outfit for his monthly ballroom dancing outing.”

With a young family and relatives in the area, Sen Const Harrisson is especially passionate about community safety in Stawell and understands the importance of initiatives like this one.

“I feel so lucky I am in the position to be able to give back to the elderly community,” Sen Const Harrisson said.

“Everyone in Victoria needs to feel safe, and be heard, and I feel we are achieving that through this program.”