Mount Isa tackles youth crime with new Early Action Group
Mount Isa’s top cop has stepped back from his high-ranking position to dedicate himself to keeping at-risk kids away from a life of crime, hopeful that things can get better, one child at a time. Find out more here.
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Mount Isa’s top cop has stepped back from his high-ranking position to dedicate himself to keeping at-risk kids away from a life of crime, hopeful that things can get better, one child at a time.
After struggling with record car theft numbers in recent years, those working on the frontline of Mount Isa’s youth crime crisis are now focusing in on the root causes with the launch of a new Early Action Group (EAG).
This initiative unites police with youth justice, child safety, health, housing, and education departments to work with community stakeholders.
Among the dedicated team is Senior Sergeant Adrian Rieck, who has stepped back from his role as officer in charge at Mount Isa station to become a youth partnerships co-ordinator.
His mission? To guide kids away from crime and towards a brighter future.
“I saw it as an opportunity to give back and work on those real core root issues as to why these children are out and about at night,” he said.
The EAG allows local police, who previously could only act after a child committed an offence, to take preventive action by referring at-risk kids aged 8-16 to the program.
Once referred, they assess if the child qualifies for intensive case management, focusing on underlying issues such as family problems, health needs, school disengagement, substance use, negative peers, and pro-criminal attitudes.
While the team has just opened their office on Camooweal St, they’ve been working behind the scenes for months with about 30 different kids.
“We find kids disengage from school because of things like they can’t see properly and need a pair of glasses or they’ve got a hearing issue so they get embarrassed and don’t want to be at school,” Senior Sergeant Rieck said.
“We’ve helped families get kids health checks and found some had some undetected developmental issues so we can then help them with NDIS or find the some flexible schooling options.
“There’s often shame in reporting that type of stuff so it’s very easy to see how these kids fall off the radar. Then the next thing you know, they’re associated with the wrong type of crowd and one day they hop in the back of a stolen car and that’s it, they’re off.”
He said by helping at-risk kids break down those barriers in their lives the EAG can nip future offending in the bud.
It comes after the state government announced that it’s investing $24 million in an Intensive On Country youth justice program in Mount Isa, led by the local organisation Mithangkaya Nguli.
The initiative aims to reduce youth reoffending through cultural and residential experiences, family support, and educational opportunities.
Senior Sergeant Rieck said he was hopeful that youth crime in Mount Isa was slowly but surely improving.
It comes after the latest police data shows that car thefts in the town had fallen by almost 10 per cent in the first six months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
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Originally published as Mount Isa tackles youth crime with new Early Action Group
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