Keeping youth off the streets after dark
By Inspector Glenn Doyle
When the Townsville Stronger Communities Action Group was created late last year, one of the first things we saw and heard about was the pressing need for an after-hours drop-in service for children.
That’s because police are regularly seeing around 30 kids or more on the street at night, some of who are committing crimes and hanging out with older repeat offenders.
It’s great to see an after-hours service is now up and running, thanks to a pilot funded by the Queensland Government.
The drop-in centre in Garbutt, operated by the Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Service (TAIHS), is opening its doors from 4pm to 10am on weekdays, and 6pm to 10am on weekends.
The service is open to Indigenous and non-Indigenous 10 to 16-year-olds, and provides activities, beds, food, and transport to school and the family home.
Ideally, home should be the safest place for any child, but regrettably that’s not always the case, with some experiencing the effects of domestic violence, alcohol and drug use, and mental illness within the family.
Importantly, this service will help connect children to case managers, counselling, a psychologist, and a family well-being service.
Congratulations to TAIHS on getting this service operating so quickly.
It’s a concrete example of how the community is coming together to back innovative ideas — all with the goal of breaking the cycle of youth crime.
