Citizens on patrol
Palm Island community hit the streets to curb crime
Residents on Palm Island have taken spiralling youth crime issues into their own hands with a new night patrol group that’s already seen an “extraordinary” reduction in property crime.
After an alarming spike in property crime last month, residents on Palm Island have worked with members of the local council and Manbarra rangers to start a community night patrol.
Each night teams of volunteers patrol the town centre, talking to wandering children and encouraging them to go home.
Within a matter of weeks, the initiative has already had a “massive impact” on property crime on the island, according to Mayor Mislam Sam.
The council said only a handful of minor incidents have occurred over the last three weeks, compared to the chaotic three days before the patrols began, which saw more than 60 incidents.
Cr Sam said it was inspiring to see residents step up and take back control of their town instead of waiting on solutions from outsiders.
“Our community members just stood up and said we need to be out there talking to the kids, moving them on and dealing with them on a local level,” he said.
“It’s been a major success so far, we’ve had. There’s been zero property crime in the areas they’ve patrolled.
“I’m very much impressed by one of our local elders, who’s probably in his mid-70s and is out every night.
“Just the other day, some local community patrol fellas sat down with a group of kids involved in a lot of the crime.
“They had a good talk to them for over an hour. I think the message was quite clear from the elders.
“They told them that young people should be at school and at home in bed and committing to be the future leaders in community, rather than destroying everything we’re trying to build.
“They told them they loved them and wanted them to go home and tell their parents they loved them too.
“I think that message spoke volumes to them because some of these kids need that extra support. They’re disengaged from school and just hanging around.”
Cr Sam said the patrol group was initially set up to run as a three-month trial with a budget of $100,000 — with support from the Department of Seniors, Disability Services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and National Indigenous Australians Agency — but he wanted to see it expand beyond that.
Officer in Charge at Palm Island police station, Acting Senior Sergeant Darren Tamblyn said the patrols had been very effective, with most kids listening to elders and going home, instead of hanging out in the mall in large groups.
“The patrols are covering a significant period of the night and it seems to be working really well,” he said.
“I was really surprised on the first night there were zero reported break-ins and very little youth activity or loitering behaviour.”
Sgt Tamblyn said the initiative was also helping police improve their engagement.
“We’re getting to know who’s out and about overnight as we engage heavily with the patrol group and there’s information sharing between us,” he said.