Lifeline to pull troubled youth away from crime
Mackay’s children at risk of a life of crime can access award-winning program to ‘challenge’ them to change.
Mackay
Don't miss out on the headlines from Mackay. Followed categories will be added to My News.
MACKAY'S children at risk of a life of crime have been given a lifeline to proactively engage with the community.
Project Booyah is an award-winning 16-week training program run by police that aims to pull at-risk youth away from criminal activity.
Program founder Detective Senior Sergeant Ian Frame said police would mentor children identified as "at-risk" over two years to "challenge" them to change their behaviour.
More stories:
Global outlook as METS sector prepares for export
LNP Crime Stoppers election promise 'bizarre'
Primary producers footing the bill for road plan gaps
"They've all got skills and attributes that we recognise but us as a community sometimes see the dire side of their decision making," he said.
"We want to work with these children to get a job and to get back into education and to realise their full potential in life."
Sen-Sgt Frame said children were referred to the program by police, health or education systems based on a number of factors including disengagement of education, criminal activity and family referral.
"If we can work with them at that early stage they've got far better outcomes in that developmental stage to become better in their life trajectory," he said.
He said for a child to get into the program they must engage with the eligibility assessment program and have parental permission.
Subscriber benefits:
Five ways to get more from your digital subscription
WATCH: Your guide to reading the Daily Mercury online
Your questions about the new Daily Mercury format answered
Run in partnership with the PCYC, the Mackay program is funded by the Northern Queensland Primary Health Network and will have the ability to take in two intakes of up 10 troubled youths each year.
Police Minister Mark Ryan said it had a proven track record and was already running at sites including Townsville.
"About 83 per cent of young people who are involved have successful outcomes of going back to school, engaging in the workforce and otherwise leading productive lives," he said.
Mackay's Project Booyah will begin in January making it the 10th location across the state.
Its success will be evaluated after a year.
An 18 month follow-up course called Framing the Future helps ensure the children can get back into work or education.
Farewell Frank: Wife’s tribute to miner ‘loved by everyone’
The heartbroken wife of a miner killed in a tragic workplace death at a Qld mine has paid tribute to an amazing man who was ‘loved by everyone’. Read her moving words.
$13m on Friday, $20m on Monday: School cashes in on vote grab
Labor has thrown $20m at a Far North Queensland school just days after the LNP pledged $13m, with the cash splash sparking an inevitable war of words.