Police tackle public perceptions as youth crime in Blacktown remains stable

The latest figures present a positive picture for youth crime in the Blacktown region, as police work with at-risk youngsters through community programs.

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Despite community concerns that youth crime is high across Blacktown City, recent statistics reveal it has flatlined.

Data from the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research reveals that juvenile offending has remained stable across all major crime categories in the Blacktown Local Government Area (LGA) in the past two years.

According to crime figures, youths were most likely to be involved in assaults, shoplifting or malicious damage.

In the year to March 2019, 307 assaults were committed by juveniles in the region, up from 242 the previous year.

Targeting juvenile shoplifting in the Blacktown region is a focus for police. Picture: Angelo Velardo

For the same period, 117 youths were charged with shoplifting, which marked a slight increase from 100 the previous year.

Incidences of malicious damage also remained stable, with 141 youths charged in the year to March 2019, compared to 137 the year prior.

These figures stand in stark contrast to the results of an online poll conducted by the Advocate, with 83 per cent of more than 650 respondents believing youth crime is an issue in their suburb.

Taking to Facebook, local residents shared their concerns.

“Blacktown needs to make it safer between the train station and Westpoint,” Toula Kypreos said.

Safety at Blacktown station is a concern for some local residents. Picture: Angelo Velardo.

“Put a gate on Blacktown pool’s carpark so we don’t have to put up with any more stolen cars being dumped and burnt out at our back fence,” Laura Shaw said.

Mt Druitt Police Area Command Detective Inspector Paul Tickner said youth crime trended along gender lines in many instances, with young boys more likely to be involved in assaults, and young girls more commonly caught shoplifting.

“Most of the time, it’s just kids being kids,” Inspector Ticker said.

“Most of the assaults are at shopping centres.

“Boys are known to go through phases in adolescence when they want to prove how tough they are.

“Girls are more into nonviolent crimes, like shoplifting, as it is non-confrontational.”

Inspector Tickner said the command worked closely with the PCYC through a range of programs to assist at-risk youth.

Mt Druitt Police Area Command Detective Inspector Paul Tickner says police work closely with the PCYC and other agencies to assist at-risk youth.

“We have our youth liaison officer who works closely with the PCYC through a number of programs — Fit for Life, Fit for Work,” he said.

“We have youth action meetings that we use to identify youths going off track and we work with other agencies to keep them out of the justice system.

“There is Youth on Track, which is similar to our youth action meetings, where we identify kids who are continually coming under notice and may need some assistance from various government and non-government agencies.

“Mission Australia has the contract in Mt Druitt, and they work with a case worker who works with the family of the juvenile involved.”

PCYC trainer Steve Magner runs the Fit for Work program with youth in Blacktown. Picture: Angelo Velardo

He said the command ran regular shoplifting operations, with diversion programs and a warning system the preferred tactics for dealing with minor offences.

“It depends on the offence, but cautions are generally more for nonviolent offences. A juvenile can get caution for common assault, but they’re not going to get one for robbery,” he said.

Youth justice conferencing is another common pathway for dealing with young people who may have committed crimes too serious for a warning or caution.

These conferences bring young offenders face-to-face with the victim and their family to look at the repercussions of their criminal behaviour.

Inspector Tickner said police and a convener worked with the youth to make them accountable for their actions and the effects on the community, whether it be washing the victim’s car or taking part in community service.

His message to the community, however, was clear: “At the end of the day, kids under the age of 18 who continually come under notice, will find themselves before the court”.