Plan hatched to support youth before crime starts
Palmerston North needs to do more to get ahead of the youth crime problem, with city councillors endorsing the development of a plan to improve young people’s well-being.
Former police boss turned city councillor Pat Handcock has gained unanimous support from the council’s community committee for his proposal.
Handcock, also the chairman of the Safety Advisory Board, said in recent years Palmerston North and other communities had seen an increase in anti-social and criminal behaviour by young people.
He said police and other agencies had improved their responses to incidents, but it was important to have a plan to tackle the drivers of the problems, not just the consequences.
”Wishing this away is not appropriate.” Handcock said one in five people in Palmerston North was aged under 15 years, with 25% under 18 years.
They were the cornerstone of the future of the city, he said.
If they were not supported to be valued members of the community, that was a vast amount of potential lost.
Handcock said it was already well-known that the groups of young people most likely to end up in the youth justice system were Māori and Pasifika, those from deprived and marginalised backgrounds, and those who were not regularly going to school.
There was also a rising problem with youth mental health, with as many as one in seven young people suffering.
There were many organisations working with those groups who were achieving great outcomes, he said.
As a case in point, the same committee meeting received a presentation from the Amanaki STEM Academy, a faith-based group working with families to help Paskifika students achieve academic success in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
But Handcock said the provision of services was sometimes haphazard, and “we need to pick up all the loose ends”.
Handcock’s lead supporter was Mayor Grant Smith.
He said he was “not always a fan” of stepping in where government agencies should be doing the work.
But in this case, the city had a role to play, looking for opportunities to get to the root of the problems, and making the city a safer, well-connected place for everyone.
“This is one absolutely necessary piece of work.”
Cr Karen Naylor said the council could not provide solutions to all the problems, but could provide leadership and improve understanding of what was needed.
The next steps will involve council staff doing a high-level scan of what youth well-being services are already being provided by the council, government agencies and community groups in the city, to see where there might be gaps.
Early next year there will be a forum, or similar platform, where people involved with young people could share their thoughts.
A more detailed proposal for a youth well-being plan would be included in the draft long-term plan to invite community feedback.
Council group manager for community services, Anton Carter, said the proposal might include a budget of between $50,000 and $100,000 to support putting the plan into action.
Staff would report back to councillors with recommendations next year in time for them to be included in the draft long-term plan.
“Wishing this away is not appropriate.”
City councillor and Safety Advisory Board chairman Pat Handcock