Seven new Youth Engagement Night Officers (YENOs) will engage with at-risk young people, seven days a week, according to a media release today from Families Minister Dale Wakefield.
“They will work from 8pm to 3am with young people who are on the street, and regularly involved in crime, and get them on a better path,” she says.
“YENOs will support NT Police, Territory Families and non-government youth services.”
Other initiatives are:–
• Expand the youth drop-in centres at Gap Youth and Community Centre and Tangentyere Council Brown Street to operate seven days a week (currently both operate five days) and extend their bus service.
• Expand the hours of the Tangentyere Night Patrol to get young people off the streets. Patrol vehicles will run seven days a week from 6pm-3am.
• Create an Aboriginal-led Youth Outreach Service. A team of senior, respected Aboriginal outreach workers will provide advice and support to youth engagement officers and mentor Aboriginal youth, drawing on the cultural authority of the Tangentyere Council Men’s Four Corners Group and Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group.
• More mobile CCTV cameras in anti-social behaviour hotspots.
• Two School Engagement Officers to work with young people who have been identified as being disengaged from schooling. These officers have been appointed.
• Three School Compliance Officers to work with young people when attempts to increase school attendance has not been successful. These officers have been appointed.
Ms Wakefield says there will be “generational change by investing in preventative measures such as education, health and housing; a massive boost to frontline police numbers; the most significant alcohol reforms on record; reforming the broken youth justice system, and an updated Victims Charter that puts victims first.”
The initiative will be funding 10 non-government organisations to provide youth diversion services across 48 locations throughout the Territory, including restorative justice conferences where the young offender and the victim are present.
“Young people who do the wrong thing must face the consequences of their actions, because all Territorians have the right to be safe,” says Ms Wakefield (pictured) in the media release.
The Tangentyere Council says in a media release the programs “will make a real difference in the lives of at risk young people [including] the expansion of successful Night Patrol services and youth drop-in centres.
“They will be supported by a new Aboriginal-led Youth Outreach Service that draws on the cultural authority of the Tangentyere Council Men’s Four Corners Group and Women’s Family Safety Group.
“During the summer school holidays the men and women supported a range of front line activities that focused on the safety of young people.
“This successful trial saw a team of senior, respected Aboriginal outreach workers providing advice and support to youth engagement officers and engaging with Aboriginal youth at events and on the streets.”
Saturday, April 20, 2024
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Finally. Some hope for long suffering Alice Springs residents. Hope it starts tonight actually. Curious as to why everything stops at 3am though, but it’s a great start.
About time something was done. What will happen to the young offenders when caught though?
This is great news. At last our calls of “do something” has been heeded. Excellent to see them teaming up with NGOs and Aboriginal organisations. Credit where credit is due, fingers crossed this comprehensive package will make a difference.
Thank you for listening and (finally) acting. Let’s give this a real chance to work.
Well, I can only hope this will help. Friday night at the Stott Tce bridge our taxi was targeted again. $800 new tailgate windshield.
This taxi has been done four times in the last three weeks, outlaying nearly $2500 in replacement glass.
Will youth workers stop that? I can only hope, as my wallet is becoming very empty and I’m really thinking about not operating at night.
It’s something, but I would be looking at their home lives and trying to make these environments safe and healthy.
Regarding the really trouble youths: Help them from the start and not just deal with the effects of a trouble childhood. It is beyond ridiculous that some of these kids have to try to survive in some of these hostile and damaging homes.
What about making an Indigenous boarding house for kids, where they can stay permanently and eat healthy, learn culture, modern society and be loved and looked after.
Their parents can visit them anytime if they choose to. If the parents don’t care about them does that mean no one should care about them?
I have seen kids / youths walking “home” at 6.00am.
Surely the night patrols should be from 9pm until 6am.
The troublemakers will wait until 3.05am to get going while it is still dark.
Why isn’t the night patrol doing its job anyway?
Hello 👋
I’m just looking for a job.
Because no job at Harts Range
So the organisation that supported the opening of the grog floodgates will now help to rescue us from the ill effects.
They have been funded for years to run a night patrol with little to show for it.
By the way what happened to the Council’s traditional owned patrol?