Hub key in crime reduction

A MOUNT Isa chaplain has credited a reduction in juvenile crime to the establishment of a transitional hub for young people.

In its latest Budget the State Government announced $829,000 of funding this financial year to opening the facility to deliver after-hours diversionary services young people.

While the funding has been available to the North West Queensland Indigenous Catholic Social Services from this week, the hub as it’s known, has been operating for the past month on a “limited scale”.

“In the first month, certainly the crime rate for young people has dramatically reto high-risk duced,” Father Mick Lowcock said. The town made headlines in January last year when police began stopping, photographing and driving children home in a major crackdown on youth crime.

“There’s a lot of young people on the streets at night … and a number of the reasons are there’s no real accommodation for them, not because they are homeless, because in a sense, the state of home,” Fr Lowcock said.

Since it opened, 56 youths have been supported aged from nine to 16, Fr Lowcock said, but admitted it was only early days.

The State Budget says the hub will provide a safe therapeutic environment for police to refer young people who do not have appropriate accommodation or safe home environments.

Mount Isa Police acting Detective Inspector Michelle Clark confirmed there had been a reduction in juvenile property crime and said the hub provided a safe place for police to take young people.

“We’ve seen a reduction for this month and since it’s started on the 7th of June,” she said.

“Any program such as this when there’s an alternative for youths to go is a benefit. At this stage the hub is something that is working.”

Despite the positive results, six juveniles were arrested this week on more than 50 charges after a crime spree of burglaries and thefts from cars across Mount Isa.