Best street kids campaign, says Chamber CEO

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p2036Kay-EadeBy ERWIN CHLANDA
 
It is the best initiative for street kids she’s seen in her decade in Alice Springs, says Chamber of Commerce CEO Kay Eade (pictured) about Chief Minister Michael Gunner’s “eight week, $250,000 Summer in Alice action plan” announced today.
 
“It is kids inclusive – not making them feel like they are the enemy, pushing them away,” she says.
 
“This is not just a movie night and that’s that. It is a very sensible, holistic, wrap-around initiative. I’ve never seen something like this in child welfare.”
 
p2379-michael-gunnerMr Gunner (at left) says his government will “deliver the most comprehensive campaign ever to keep kids off the street in Alice Springs and ensure the local community is safe and vibrant over the upcoming holiday period”.
 
The NT Police, Territory Families, local government and housing, the NGO and private sectors “will work together to reduce youth anti-social and criminal behaviour … in the biggest co-ordinated and pre-emptive campaign by an NT Government to target kids at risk before they engage in bad behaviour during the summer holiday period”.
 
An interagency group, led by police, has been established to coordinate activities.
 
Police strike force Winx will investigative and disrupt youth crime, says Mr Gunner.
 
“This will include not just activities but transport to get kids back home if needed, additional security measures, and importantly appropriate support to kids assessed as being ‘at risk’ and requiring therapeutic or more structured support.”
 
“Return to Country” will assist people to get back home, providing bush bus transport, improved lighting in town camps, and town camp “blitzes” by truancy and public housing officers.
 
 
 

4 COMMENTS

  1. Get real. Enact a curfew for kids and punish bad guys with rural work, plus FOOD ONLY cards for all welfare recipients. Tell me, did you get whacked when you did wrong as a kid?

  2. @ Get Real: I was about to reply to your un-informed comments when I reminded myself that I do not respond to commentators that are too spineless to use their real names.
    Didn’t your parents ever tell you that “if you cannot say anything nice, say nothing at all”?

  3. @ Get Real: I am going to guess that the person who whacked you as a kid was someone you respected?
    Punishment works best when the person being punished respects the person who is doing the punishing.
    This is why good youth programmes are integral to effective penal policies not the opposite of them.
    Zero tolerance is not the same as harsh punishment.
    Finland’s use of curfews to diminish drug use amongst youth demonstrates this.
    Whilst authorities adpted a zero tolerance approach to the kid curfew this did not involve the use of harsh punishments.
    It did however mean helping kids with difficult home lives find solutions. In this time it might mean having a place where kids could sleep the night. Such an approach has the capacity to increase the respect which underpins all effective punishments no matter the form they take.

  4. But what actually will be happening? What is going to happen? We, the taxpayer, have a right to know what a quarter of a million dollars for eight weeks gets us.

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