New preventive crime program already making a difference in Toowoomba
Days after a multi-body program launched in Toowoomba to steer at-risk youth away from criminal behaviour, four kids have been moved to safety, and dozens provided with support.
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A specialised program launched in Toowoomba two days ago, to help steer at-risk youth away from the justice system, reduce property crime, and reassure residents, has already provided support to 19 children.
Five co-responder teams, which include police officers and youth justice caseworkers, will patrol the streets 24/7 engaging with young people with the hope to break the cycle of youth offending.
Toowoomba co-responder team leader Brooke Sanders has been working with at-risk youth for about five years and will supervise and support the co-responder teams.
She said from Thursday night to Saturday morning, her team had already positively engaged with 19 young people, as well as their families.
“We have (also) facilitated four transports to get young people off the street to a place of safety, and that’s just over two days,” she said.
“Our key goal is to keep the youth safe, keep our community safe, but make sure we are safe as well.
“We will be confiding in our community and using their knowledge and their experience with young people to help support us on the ground, particularly our elders of the community.”
The death of Robert Brown alongside a surge in property crime, struck fear in the community, sparking an emotionally charged town hall meeting and calls for police and the government to take action on youth crime.
Now the Queensland Government is actioning its promise to expand successful and multifaceted police initiatives in the Toowoomba region.
On her first free day after being sworn into her new cabinet role, Youth Justice minister Di Farmer travelled to Toowoomba to announce the rollout of the program on Saturday morning, May 20.
Ms Farmer said the government’s goal was to keep young people from entering the youth justice system, “and most of all” keep the community safe.
“We want Toowoomba residents to know that this is a program that’s worked in other communities, and our goal is to target serious repeat offenders, but to (also) support the community to feel safe,” she said.
“This model sees police and youth justice workers working together to identify those young people wherever they are 24/7… wherever they are congregating and engaging in risky behaviour and move those young people before offences can happen.
“We know a lot of young people that are involved with the youth justice system often can be homeless, they can have mental health issues, they may be engaged in substance abuse or a range of other risky behaviours.
“(Co-responder teams) might refer them to mental health services, (or) they might take them somewhere where there is food.
“We know it is a big concern.... there are different types of concerns in different communities, so I will be there listening, but the main thing is we are putting measures in place that work.”
Assistant Commissioner of the youth crime task-force George Marchesini said the program would be rolled out in five towns, including Toowoomba, and noted the co-responder teams would also carry out bail compliance checks.
“Community safety will always be a priority, having said that, we still need to be looking and focusing on those youth and preventing as best we can youth that are entering the justice system,” he said.
“We’re looking forward to seeing some of the results that we will see in Toowoomba and the local community.”
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Originally published as New preventive crime program already making a difference in Toowoomba
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