Ipswich CPIU Detective James Steginga talks about Project Booyah and National Child Protection Week
Police working with children and youth offenders are increasingly looking to fix the root cause of the problems that push young people into a life of crime.
Ipswich
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Ipswich Detective Senior Sergeant James Steginga has seen a side of society that not all members of the public would be comfortable even thinking about.
When children caught up in bad homes and become victims or turn to crime themselves, the role of the police officer can be turned completely upside down.
Instead of locking up children who commit crime, the role of the Child Protection and Investigation Unit is often to address the root cause of the problem, and divert vulnerable kids away from bad influences in their lives.
While it sounds rewarding, the job can also take a heavy toll.
A detective with 17 years’ experience, including stints across regional and metropolitan areas of Queensland, Detective Snr Sgt Steginga said CPIU police were doing lots of work behind the scenes to help young people avoid a life of crime.
“Kids commit crime, but the question is why,” he said.
“Often when you look at where these kids come from there is abuse and neglect, drugs, and parents in jail.
“It is hard on police and you take on a lot of the baggage of your own troops.
“You are managing investigations while also managing the mental health of your staff. In each situation, someone might react differently.”
Being a parent yourself can make the job even more challenging, especially when the instinct to nurture kicks in.
The sudden death of children in shaking incidents is one that police find particularly difficult to deal with on a personal level, Snr Sgt Steginga said.
“I remember a brother and sister aged about 7 or 8 who had to be removed from their home, but they had nowhere to go – things like that stick in my mind,” he said.
“Child protection has evolved a lot over the years and now takes up about 80 per cent of our work.
“It is not what you would call traditional policing.”
As part of a new approach to reaching at-risk young people, Snr Sgt Steginga is spearheading Project Booyah in southeast Queensland at the moment.
Project Booyah is a 16-week Queensland Police Service early intervention program that has partnered with government, non-government and the private sector, to connect Ipswich teenagers with employment and education pathways.
“It is a highly successful, evidence-based initiative generating real outcomes for at-risk Ipswich youth aged 14-16 years,” Sen Sgt Steginga said.
“The program commenced on the Gold Coast in 2011 and has since successfully expanded into 10 locations across Queensland.
“Project Booyah Ipswich commenced in 2018 and is staffed by a full-time police officer, Senior Constable Andrew Treacy and youth support workers Olivia Masuino, Tabatha Keech and Keith Debnam.
“Project Booyah commenced in Ipswich in 2018, since then, 54 from 60 young people have graduated from the program in Ipswich. Early evaluations of Project Booyah have shown extremely positive results. Reducing reoffending can yield significant savings across the criminal justice system.”
The work being carried out by police and support agencies to help young people across Ipswich will be the focus of this year’s 10th annual Ipswich & West Moreton Region Child Protection Week Awards.
Nominations are open for the awards, which coincide with National Child Protection Week, September 5-11.
The 2021 theme for National Child Protection Week is all about the importance of the ‘bigger picture’ in addressing child abuse and neglect.
To submit a nomination for the Ipswich awards, click on this link to the nominations page: https://www.icys.org.au/ipswich-west-moreton-region-child-protection-week-awards-nomination-2021/
Nominations close 5pm on Thursday 12th August 2021. The Winners will be announced at the Ipswich & West Moreton Region Child Protection Week Gala Dinner & Awards Presentation on Friday September 10 at the Ipswich Turf Club.
To purchase your tickets click here https://www.trybooking.com/BRVII.
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