you have just presented a valid argument for why the current statistical administration of police services should be reviewed… well done!

We also need to consider what police get rewarded for. Their KPIs are mainly about arrests, convictions, tickets issued, things that can be easily counted and that senior police think are important. Wild goose chases for unusual kids who will most likely turn up later anyway are down the list.

And people ask why we need questions about gender and sexuality in the Census!
‘ridiculed and physically unsafe’ can be applied to so many health services when it comes to the LGBTQI+ community. It’s not just about needing separate services, but it could also be about providing appropriate avenues within existing services which only needs to ensure there are willing staff appropriately trained to work with members of the LGBTQI+ community. That can’t be done without knowing how many of our population are LGBTQI+.

Unfortunately, when it comes to the police, overtime budgets in all states seem to constrain whether or not police do anything, especially in the suburbs or beyond city boundaries. If they assess it can be put off until office hours, that’s what they’ll do.