Regular visitors to Greater Dandenong’s customer service centres will recognise Amarjeet’s friendly face and reassuring demeanour.
Amarjeet is four years into his role at Council as a Community Safety Officer, a job that truly places him squarely in the centre of civic activity.
Well-loved by his colleagues, Amarjeet is known around Council for his ability to set people at ease and relate to locals from every walk of life.
His dark blue uniform and utility vest may look serious, but his manner is gentle. He smiles often and visibly enjoys his role keeping people safe and informed when they visit one of our facilities.
What is a typical day like for a community safety officer? Is there a lot of structure to it? My day starts at noon and usually goes until 8.30pm unless I need to be on duty later for a specific event, such as a Council meeting.
My three colleagues and I rotate among three Council buildings according to a schedule. We patrol regularly to keep watch on things over the course of the day and also monitor CCTV.
It’s my job to keep an eye on safety hazards and behaviour and address them as required; that could be damage to the building, suspicious or disruptive behaviour, fighting and so on. We also clean up broken glass and collect abandoned blankets for cleaning and redistribution to those who need them.
What do you enjoy most about what you do? I like that we have a role to play in helping community members have a pleasant experience when they are here. People have come up to me and share that they feel safe when they’re here to do business, and that makes me feel good.
We have a lot of older people come here for customer service and I enjoy helping them get where they need to go. I like that we have a calming influence by being visible and available for assistance if needed.
On a really hot day last summer, a fellow was clearly suffering the effects of the heat, so I offered him a bottle of water and we sat down in the shade for a chat. A drink of water solves a lot of problems, actually. We keep bottles on hand because they help people feel calm and relaxed.
Sometimes people do odd things or try to start an argument, but usually it’s about wanting to be listened to. So, we listen, engage them in conversation. Most of the time it works very well to de-escalate the situation. It’s like verbal judo, balancing negative energy.