The Territory Government is breaking the cycle of crime and anti-social behaviour in Alice Springs to keep streets safer and help young people get their lives back on track.
Minister for Territory Families Dale Wakefield announced the final piece of the seven point Breaking the Cycle plan for Alice Springs –an Aboriginal-led Youth Outreach Service
The service, known as ‘Looking After the Kids – Walking Together with Young People’, will be operated by Tangentyere Council Aboriginal Organisation.
It will be staffed by a team of respected Aboriginal youth outreach workers, who will provide advice and support to youth engagement officers and mentor Aboriginal young people.
The service will be underpinned by a cultural advisory group made up of the Tangentyere Council Men’s Four Corners Group and Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group.
A trial of this service was conducted during the April (2019) school holidays and was met with positive reports.
All Breaking the Cycle initiatives are now in effect. This also includes:
- Appointment of seven Youth Engagement Night Officers (YENOs) to work seven days a week from 8pm-3am with young people who are on the street (and regularly involved in crime) and get them on a better path. YENOs will support NT Police, Territory Families and non-government youth services.
- More mobile CCTV cameras in anti-social behaviour hot spots.
- 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.
- Expand the youth drop-in centres at Gap Youth and Community Centre and Tangentyere Council Brown Street to operate seven days a week 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.
Source: NT Government