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BOOTS FOR MORE THAN WALKING A senior constable is encouraging police to dust off their old uniforms for a worthy cause. Springvale Police Station’s Senior Constable Jo Malec has visited Samoa 14 times over three and a half years, bringing with her second-hand goods for local schools.
With so much clothing gathering dust in lockers, Sen Const Malec saw an opportunity. Within 24 hours a deal was struck with the Victoria Police warehouse responsible for managing old and new uniforms. “When I told them my idea, they were keen to jump on board,” Sen Const Malec said.
She recently found she could take it a step further, giving police uniform items that were no longer being used to those who needed them.
“The manager said they’d rather repurpose the boots than destroy them, so they agreed to store them until they were ready to be shipped.
“A Samoan friend of mine called and asked if I could bring a pair of boots for him on my next trip, as he had a new job landscaping,” Sen Const Malec said.
“The team has been so brilliant; I couldn’t have done it without them.”
“When I looked around the office I realised many of my colleagues had old uniform boots laying around.”
Sen Const Malec said the agreement had benefits on both sides. “We destroy two containers worth of uniforms each day,” she said. “At no cost to us we can recycle our old boots and make a difference to someone’s life.”
With the help of a local Samoan support group, Sen Const Malec is preparing a container ship to send the much-needed footwear overseas. Her goal is to get 1,000 pairs by July. Sen Const Malec said she was inspired to give back to the community that welcomed her with open arms. “In Samoa the work is incredibly hard and the pay is around $2 an hour,” she said. “They don’t have much, yet they open their homes to me every time I visit.” Sen Const Malec is hoping to expand the initiative and make it an ongoing commitment. “We’re collecting tactical pants now as well, so it’d be great to see more police sending us their unwanted uniforms,” she said.
Image Boots Off Sen Const Malec is giving the boot to wasteful practices. Editorial: Ashlee Williams POLICE LIFE | WINTER 2018
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