Living in fear: Moree locals claim the NSW government has failed to deliver on promise to address youth crime

While some local organisations have received a total of $1 million to increase activities for troubled youth in the evenings, Moree residents say the youth crime crisis has escalated in recent months.

Almost one year after a $13.4 million regional youth crime pilot was announced in Moree to combat the epidemic of youths breaking into homes and stealing cars, locals say they are still living in fear as they wait for the government to deliver on its promises.

The Minns government has still not even decided on a successful tenderer for the new $8.75 million bail accommodation service despite being announced in March last year.

Many of the youths involved in violent break and enters are already out on bail for prior offences, with the bail accommodation, where kids stay while on bail, seen as crucial to prevent reoffending.

Operation Regional Mongoose, which focuses on serious property-related crime predominantly committed by young offenders, in Moree in 2024.

While some local organisations have received a total of $1 million to increase activities for troubled youth in the evenings, residents say the youth crime crisis has escalated in recent months, despite the NSW government’s big announcements.

This comes as a 42-year-old motorcyclist was killed near Moree on Tuesday morning after a fatal collision with a stolen vehicle being driven by three 14-year-old boys.

Owner of a caravan park in Moree, Allan McDonald said the youth crime in town “was worse than it’s ever been” in 40 years, with three violent incidents of kids with knives kicking down motel room doors and robbing guests in the last month.

In one incident at the motel in late December, police allege three teenage boys with knives kicked a door down and assaulted a 63-year old woman. In a separate incident, Mr McDonald said a guest in her eighties had her arm broken in an attack.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb at the Project Pathfinder launch in Moree. Picture: NSW Police

“I’ve been in the hotel business for 40 years and it’s never been this violent with the kids carrying weapons,” he said.

“Before the kids were more opportunistic and would sneak around to steal, now they just kick the door down.”

Attorney-General Michael Daley said the bail accommodation service was in the final stages of the procurement process, and that the wait on delivery was for design work to be done on how the service would run.

3/04/2024. NSW Premier Chris Minns at the Project Pathfinder launch in Moree. Picture: NSW Police

‘The bail accommodation service has not been done before in NSW – we need to make sure we get it right,” he said.

“It is expected to be open this year.”

Northern Tablelands MP Brendan Moylan said the pilot wasn’t working almost a year in.

“While the state funding for Moree is welcome, no one seems to know where the money is going and we haven’t seen any tangible benefit or impact on the ground,” he said.

“We need to know exactly what progress has been made and how the Government is measuring the success of this pilot.

“The Government can’t keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.”

Originally published as Living in fear: Moree locals claim the NSW government has failed to deliver on promise to address youth crime