Atherton Tablelands: ‘Poor behaviour’ of youth forces drop-in centre closure

A highly promising youth diversionary drop-in centre in a town riddled with crime has been forced to close. Find out why.

BAD behaviour and an attempted break-in has forced the closure of a Mareeba drop-in centre designed to keep wayward youth occupied at night.

But Cook MP Cynthia Lui has refused to answer questions about the status of the Mareeba PCYC Pulse cafe.

The Pulse cafe – opened as a drop-in centre as a youth diversion strategy in a town plagued with crime by juvenile offenders – has closed due to poor behaviour by some youths and an attempted break-in.

Ms Lui was specifically asked how much funding had been provided to Mareeba PCYC and to Mossman PCYC, with reports there are three paid officers for Mossman but only one for Mareeba.

Cook MP Cynthia Lui has refused to answer questions about the status of the Mareeba PCYC Pulse Cafe. Picture: Andrea Falvo

Ms Lui was asked on Thursday why the Pulse cafe closed and she was asked how she was directly involved in the crime prevention sphere in Mareeba, and what solutions she proposed.

She did not address any of the questions.

Mareeba police sergeant and PCYC youth club manager Mary-Anne West said in a statement on social media the Pulse cafe was closed.

“Pulse cafe – youth drop-in centre is closed until further notice, due to the poor behaviour of some young people and an attempted break-in at our PCYC,” she said.

“We have been operating Pulse cafe, for the last eight months, on the kindness and generosity of businesses and people of Mareeba … we greatly appreciate the contribution from the five permanent volunteers, PCYC staff and QPS officers that also give up their free time to volunteer and support the activity to assist with crime prevention.”

Basketball was a popular pastime at the PCYC Mareeba drop in centre, which has been forced to close.

Pulse cafe opened nightly from 6pm in January and received overwhelming support with food donations from Mareeba businesses.

In the last six months, there have been 1669 offences reported in the Mareeba local government area including 214 unlawful entry charges and 214 property damage charges.

Mareeba Shire Mayor Angela Toppin said she was disappointed the cafe had closed.

“The Pulse cafe offered a welcome space for the youth of Mareeba and it is unfortunate that it had to close,” she said.

“Council fully supports the PCYC and appreciates what they do for the young people in our community,” Cr Toppin said.

Poor behaviour by some youths and an attempted break in have resulted in the closure of the Mareeba PCYC youth drop in centre, the Pulse Cafe, which was open every night and received overwhelming local business support.

Council would continue to advocate for more resources from Queensland Police, she said.“ The current system of either sending juvenile offenders to formal youth detention centres, where they often become further criminalised by their fellow inmates, or are given some form of community service, is not working for many.

“Something must be done to address the spiralling increase in youth crime and given the current approach is having limited success, so giving them suitable skills in an diversionary facility would be a positive addition,” she said.

Originally published as Atherton Tablelands: ‘Poor behaviour’ of youth forces drop-in centre closure