By ERWIN CHLANDA
In a statement about crime and anti-social behaviour, Families Minister Dale Wakefield (at left) has put a number on “high risk young people” namely “up to 30”.
They will be the focus of the Alice Springs Interagency Case Management Group (ICMG), which was established in October, including staff from Territory Families, police and the Department of Education.
But Independent Member for Araluen Robyn Lambley says Ms Wakefield’s announcement is “a complete fizzer” and says a youth curfew needs to be given consideration.
Ms Wakefield was announcing the start of Operation Cradle which she says will aim to “reduce youth crime and anti-social behaviour during these school holidays.
“A high police presence will be patrolling the known locations and actively identifying and apprehending youth offenders to be brought before the court.
“Operation Cradle will complement the government’s comprehensive school holiday program that will keep children and young people off the streets and engaged in educational and fun activities.”
The school holiday program will be supported by the Youth Outreach and Reengagement Team which will “engage with at-risk young people to encourage participation in the school holiday programs.”
But Ms Lambley (at right) says Alice Springs people “were not given any hope of how we are going to get through these long hot summer months of crime.
“Operation Cradle is just a regular police exercise with government and non-government organisations working together. This happens every year and is nothing new. It is just a rebranding exercise.
“It is time to seriously contemplate a temporary youth curfew for Alice Springs.
“Last summer we had the tactical response unit in town. We need youth outreach workers back on the streets at night.
“Extreme circumstances require extreme measures. It is not the time for empty motherhood statements from Ministers.
“Darwin was given $9m of funding to combat youth crime last week. Alice Springs gets nothing.”
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
The freedom of the press still furnishes that check upon government which no constitution has ever been able to provide – Chicago Tribune.
Cradle! Why such name? The kids on the street, for the majority, are not babies. Many have been initiated which means they are adult members of the community.
The ages of the person being initiated varies between language groups, but usually occur between the ages of 10 and 16 years.
The totally failed Australian Labor Party and Greens left wing criminal pandering Socialist social service groups will never stop “their own” young and old, black or white criminal client groups from re-offending. They will never give their criminal clients a fear of criminally reoffending.
What makes that even worse is these failed groups guide all of our Australian political groups.
Police and corrections groups should start standing up for the majority of good law abiding citizens of Australia.
So we bring in a curfew.
Those breaking the curfew are arrested.
Let free the following morning with a slap on the wrist.
And go forth to break the curfew the following night…
Rinse and repeat.
This will accomplish nothing 🙁
Repeat offenders need to be banished from the area. By this I mean exiled to a remote location hundreds of miles from Alice Springs. If it takes banishing 100s to 1000s or people, then so be it. This will work. Liberalism will never work.
“High risk young people …about 30.” What about the over 25,000 residents of Alice that are at “high risk” of having cars stolen, property broken into, assaults and violence?
Or don’t we worry about them, Minister?
I think if done in consultation with the families of the children a curfew could work.
A lot of families are exasperated trying to keep their kids from going off to town to wander around, and would welcome assistance.
The obvious issue to resolve is what to do with kids caught. I’d suggest a first time in 30 days gets dropped off with family if it’s safe to do so, with a grade up to being kept in a secure facility for a night or two.
A curfew on its own won’t stop crime, particularly with instances happening in broad daylight.
The penalties for criminal offending, particularly repeat offending, need to return to a level that deters, restores, and equips youths so they offend less, much less.
We need someone like John Elferink back in the system.
Are guns next? Same problems in Broome WA destroyed tourism.
How ridiculous is the idea of having these little offenders put on a curfew.
There is no responsible adult(s) at home or one that is able to control these offenders.
A curfew is not the solution and will not work. There has to be other measures put in place. Just saying.
Only one thing will work, and that is a deterrent that they are afraid of.
Smack on the wrist, kiss and cuddle, detention where they can run riot and do what they want, be sent home where no one cares about them because their parents aren’t fit to be parents, are all things the current Government are doing. And they do not work. Grow a pair, Government.
@ Rosalie Highfold, Posted December 13, 2018 at 2:40 pm
Yes Rosalie , we need a curfew and a refuge center for the children without a caring household.