Academic Staff

Rebecca Lewis

PhD (Law), MEd (CSU), EIELP (UNSW), GCLTHE (CSU), Dip Mgmt (SWSI-TAFE), Australasian Forensic Science Accreditation Fingerprint Expert in the Science of Fingerprints, Dip Public Safety Forensic Investigations (CIT), Dip Policing Practice (CSU)

Rebecca (prefers Beck), a proud Gomeroi Woman from Moree NSW. She also has ancestral connections to Dunghutti (Walcha NSW) and Ngoorabul (Glen Innes NSW). Rebecca has 21 years of experience working with the NSW Police Force in various roles, including front line general duties policing, Senior Forensic Investigator (Accredited Fingerprint Expert), Project Manager at the Aboriginal Employment Programs Unit/Aboriginal Coordination Team and First Nations Coordinator at NSW Police Academy in Goulburn NSW.

Rebecca recently resigned from her position as a Sergeant to pursue her passion for research and education, particular in social justice for First Nations communities.

Prior to commencing employment with CSU, Beck held the position of First Nations Coordinator for 5 years which involved teaching across various subjects for the Associate Degree in Policing Practice (ADPP) in Goulburn, NSW. Currently, Beck is responsible for teaching a diverse range of subjects within the Centre of Law and Justice (CL&J) and the Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security (AGSP&S).

Current Research Project: First Nations Policing Discretion Framework

Beck’s current research focuses on co-designing and creating a First Nations Police Discretionary Framework with First Nations Elders in Moree NSW and Aboriginal NSW Police employees across NSW regions. This framework aims to ensure police discretion polices and practices are reflective of First Nations communities’ needs, thereby preventing systemic injustice and the overrepresentation of First Nations Peoples entering the criminal justice system. The research will provide invaluable information for police organisations to transform policies and education to provide best practice in culturally appropriate use of police discretion when policing First Nations communities. Beck will be incorporating her Gomeroi Lore principles of Winanga-Li (to hear, to listen, to know and to remember) deep listening model, which she has utilised in her policing practice for 21 years and is invaluable to her research. Winanga-Li embraces the importance of First Nations Sovereignty, as the core and conceptual framework for the research.

Previous research completed within NSW Police Force includes the following:

Research and created First Nations Student Sovereignty Database for First Nations Policing Students. To culturally support the individual education needs and wellbeing of First Nations Policing Students. First Nations Student centred strategies and support services designed from the First Nations Sovereignty Database.
First Nations Trackers cultural display recording 643 names and stories of First Nations Trackers across NSW. Display is situated at NSW Police Academy, Goulburn NSW.
Researched and created a First Nations Policing Placement Strategy Program (Back to Country) implemented into the NSW Police Academy for First Nations Probationary Constables to be placed within First Nations Communities or in close distance to their families to support retention within the NSW Police Force and support First Nations communities.
Fingerprint research project ‘Evaluation on the Suitability of Genipin to develop fingerprints on paper substrates for Major Crime Investigations’ for Forensic Science Laboratories Fingerprint Section NSW Police Force.