He's a familiar face in the area, working as a new and emerging communities liaison officer for Victoria Police.

Mr Lado's role is to improve relationships between police, migrants and refugees.

"It's breaking down barriers," he says. "Many of these groups have come from war experiences. People have been exposed to violence and corruption, so they don't trust the police."

Mr Lado, an unsworn police member, can relate to their experiences. He arrived in Australia nine years ago after fleeing the war in his homeland, Sudan.

He said often in other countries the police were all-powerful, with no regulations or accountability for their actions.

Mr Lado is working to help police be more sensitive in their interactions with multicultural communities and is helping develop a cultural awareness program for the Victorian force.

He also regularly visits migrant and refuge support services to educate newly arrived people about Australian laws. Ayuen Makur was one of many African people to talk to Mr Lado when this reporter joined him on a stroll in Footscray.

"It is easier for us to speak to Moses than the police; he knows our experiences."

Mr Lado, now an Australian citizen, has been in the position for eight months, as part of a year-long trial by Victoria Police.

Leading Senior Sergeant Craig Spicer, Footscray police's community liaison officer, said there was no better place for Mr Lado's work. "The community is so responsive to Moses."