Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This is the New South Wales Police recruitment page, and this is their latest campaign: “You Should Be A Cop.” Like so much in modern Australia, the focus is squarely on diversity. Just look at the images:
• Woman.
• Woman.
• Woman.
• Ethnic minority.
I think the women have it.
But this is the specific campaign we’ll be focusing on today—and thank you to the viewer who sent this in: “Be a Cop in Your Community.” It sounds innocuous enough. Well, here is the ad they’ve been running on Instagram and wherever else.
Now, I’m not going to play the video because I always get stung when I do that, but I will play the audio. See if you can notice the pattern.
[Audio Clip]
And to be clear: no, this is not an April Fools’ joke.
As you heard, they are speaking in every language other than English. Apart from Mandarin—which I study—I don’t even know what languages they were speaking.
Now, the first question is: Why? What is the purpose of running an ad in foreign languages? Look, I’m a realist; there are many different languages spoken in Australia, and I’ve got nothing against people speaking their own. However, there’s one language that bonds us all together: English. You can’t get by in Australia just speaking Swahili. You can’t get by just speaking Japanese. If I walk into a Woolworths and start speaking Chinese, I’m just going to get a blank stare and a very awkward silence.
Not to mention, anyone living in Australia who is proficient enough to become a police officer would surely already know English. If they aren’t proficient in English, they’d be a liability as a police officer. How can you serve the broader community if you only speak Hindi?
So, who exactly are the police targeting with this ad? Well, I think the answer is simple: virtue signalling. “Look at us! We’re inclusive!”
They state in the blurb that they’re looking for recruits who can speak another language. Okay, fine—but couldn’t they have just done that in English? By sticking to only four languages, they were actually being quite exclusive.
Obviously, what they should have done was have these same people speak in English:
“Hi, I’m from China, but now I’m an Australian citizen and I can speak Chinese. Look at me! I’m a police officer now. If you’re from China, you too can become a police officer… as long as you’re not a spy for the Communist Party. But hey, even if you are, I won’t tell anyone. It’s our little secret… I hope that wasn’t recording.”
According to the “Be a Cop in Your Community” page, they are seeking “applicants who identify with one of our targeted cultural or language groups.” They provide a list of very specific languages, including Arabic and Syrian.
But why these languages? Well, they note:
“The Be a Cop in Your Community program is focused on four Priority Areas in the South West Metropolitan Region: Auburn, Burwood, Cumberland, and Liverpool. These Police Area Commands serve some of NSW’s most culturally and linguistically diverse neighbourhoods.”
So, apparently, “community” only matters in specific postcodes. Are they suggesting that if you live in the Northern Beaches or The Shire, you don’t need a “community connection”?
Or perhaps it’s just that those residents don’t have the “right kind” of diversity.
But of course, being a “diverse” police officer involves special skills that require reimbursement. As they note on their page:
“You may be entitled to allowances, such as the Community Language Allowance Scheme.”
Yes—it certainly sounds like a “scheme” to me. While most people get paid for what they do, these recruits get a bonus for what they are.
And finally, remember the all-important motto: “Your culture is your strength.” Yep. As long as you’re not “just” Australian, your culture is super-duper important. You may have thought the “strength” of a police officer was their ability to uphold the law, maintain physical fitness, and display courage under pressure.
But no. You were wrong.
Apparently, it’s your “culture” that is the most important thing. Forget about your black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu; being able to order a kebab in Arabic is far more important.
MUSIC
Allégro by Emmit Fenn
This is the New South Wales Police recruitment page, and this is their latest campaign: “You Should Be A Cop.” Like so much in modern Australia, the focus is squarely on diversity. Just look at the images:
• Woman.
• Woman.
• Woman.
• Ethnic minority.
I think the women have it.
But this is the specific campaign we’ll be focusing on today—and thank you to the viewer who sent this in: “Be a Cop in Your Community.” It sounds innocuous enough. Well, here is the ad they’ve been running on Instagram and wherever else.
Now, I’m not going to play the video because I always get stung when I do that, but I will play the audio. See if you can notice the pattern.
[Audio Clip]
And to be clear: no, this is not an April Fools’ joke.
As you heard, they are speaking in every language other than English. Apart from Mandarin—which I study—I don’t even know what languages they were speaking.
Now, the first question is: Why? What is the purpose of running an ad in foreign languages? Look, I’m a realist; there are many different languages spoken in Australia, and I’ve got nothing against people speaking their own. However, there’s one language that bonds us all together: English. You can’t get by in Australia just speaking Swahili. You can’t get by just speaking Japanese. If I walk into a Woolworths and start speaking Chinese, I’m just going to get a blank stare and a very awkward silence.
Not to mention, anyone living in Australia who is proficient enough to become a police officer would surely already know English. If they aren’t proficient in English, they’d be a liability as a police officer. How can you serve the broader community if you only speak Hindi?
So, who exactly are the police targeting with this ad? Well, I think the answer is simple: virtue signalling. “Look at us! We’re inclusive!”
They state in the blurb that they’re looking for recruits who can speak another language. Okay, fine—but couldn’t they have just done that in English? By sticking to only four languages, they were actually being quite exclusive.
Obviously, what they should have done was have these same people speak in English:
“Hi, I’m from China, but now I’m an Australian citizen and I can speak Chinese. Look at me! I’m a police officer now. If you’re from China, you too can become a police officer… as long as you’re not a spy for the Communist Party. But hey, even if you are, I won’t tell anyone. It’s our little secret… I hope that wasn’t recording.”
According to the “Be a Cop in Your Community” page, they are seeking “applicants who identify with one of our targeted cultural or language groups.” They provide a list of very specific languages, including Arabic and Syrian.
But why these languages? Well, they note:
“The Be a Cop in Your Community program is focused on four Priority Areas in the South West Metropolitan Region: Auburn, Burwood, Cumberland, and Liverpool. These Police Area Commands serve some of NSW’s most culturally and linguistically diverse neighbourhoods.”
So, apparently, “community” only matters in specific postcodes. Are they suggesting that if you live in the Northern Beaches or The Shire, you don’t need a “community connection”?
Or perhaps it’s just that those residents don’t have the “right kind” of diversity.
But of course, being a “diverse” police officer involves special skills that require reimbursement. As they note on their page:
“You may be entitled to allowances, such as the Community Language Allowance Scheme.”
Yes—it certainly sounds like a “scheme” to me. While most people get paid for what they do, these recruits get a bonus for what they are.
And finally, remember the all-important motto: “Your culture is your strength.” Yep. As long as you’re not “just” Australian, your culture is super-duper important. You may have thought the “strength” of a police officer was their ability to uphold the law, maintain physical fitness, and display courage under pressure.
But no. You were wrong.
Apparently, it’s your “culture” that is the most important thing. Forget about your black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu; being able to order a kebab in Arabic is far more important.
MUSIC
Allégro by Emmit Fenn
