Reignite offers hope for tearaway teens

THE State Government, police and youth services will try to break the cycle of crime among a pocket of Geelong’s youth, with a $700,000 initiative to support them into work and education.

A panel of youth welfare experts, including those from Barwon Child, Youth & Family, Legal Aid and mental health services, will identify 18 recidivist teens for the Reignite Geelong Project.

Three specialist youth and family workers will work intensively with the group during a two-year period to put the teens into employment, education and connect them with their community.

The project led by Barwon Child, Youth & Family is expected to focus on 15 to 18year-olds who have completed a court-imposed order, continue to offend or are at risk of turning to crime.

Young people taking part in the program will be have to commit to a strategy involving

“We want to stop this pattern of constant offending by some of these young people.”

their families, education or work as the youth workers assess their progress.

Geelong police have been kept busy tackling youth crime in recent months, including: ARRESTING and charging a female teen in the mall on Tuesday for a serious theft; ARRESTING 13 young people between 14 and 17 years old in the four days to June 22; and, CHARGING a 13-year-old boy with possessing a handgun in the mall in May.

An analysis of crime statistics by the Geelong Advertiser has shown males between 15 and 19 years old were suspected of at least 1000 crimes across Greater Geelong last year.

Barwon Child, Youth & Family manager Peter Jacobson said a new approach to deal with troubled youth was needed.

“At the moment there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of effective strategy that is tackling the problem,” Mr Jacobson said. “The Reignite Project is an opportunity to target 18 young people in Geelong.”

Police Minister Lisa Neville said the project was aimed at breaking a cycle of teen offending.

“We want to stop this pattern of constant offending by some of these young people, because they are causing real harm in the community,” Ms Neville said.

“We know that access to targeted programs, tools and support can break the pattern of offending.”

When the funding to tackle youth crime in Geelong was announced in February, she said it would be used to enhance early intervention among youth likely to be living in Corio, Whittington and Norlane.

Youth and family workers are being recruited for the project.

L I SA NEVILLE