Armidale PCYC manager Sam Davis says he's determined to make the Glen Innes outreach expansion a success.
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Perhaps that's partly because Mr Davis is a former Glen Innes boy - his parents own the Shop in Glen and he grew up in the town.
"That's why there's a personal push to get some programs running there," he said.
"I really want it to be a success.
"I want to have a couple of those poster kids (with) 30 offences on their record, they started working with us, we've got them into a TAFE course and so-and-so's put them on an apprenticeship or so-and-so has put them on in retail."
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The Police and Community Youth Club would have held its first classes in the Glen Innes Youth Centre yesterday but for a late crisis at the Glen Innes High School. Instead kickoff will have to wait for term four.
Nonetheless, PCYC is coming to Glen Innes, with kickoff set for Term Four.
Sam says the locked in announcement comes after 12 months of outreach and work by council, police and volunteers.
The number one priority of the Glen Innes Outreach program will be targeting up to 18 of the town's most troubled young offenders in a one-on-one mentoring program, with the PCYC working in collaboration with Centrecare's Youth on Track to get them out of the cycle of crime.
The program will use two Armidale-based Youth Case Managers, specialised police trained to deal with young offenders one on one. They also hope to use local cops to provide programs and build a positive relationship towards police among troubled young kids.
The PCYC will also provide broader 'engagement activities' with the broader youth of Glen Innes such as fitness programs.
They will also launch services for the general community like a defensive driving course by the end of the year.
He said the development of a standalone youth centre by the Glen Innes Severn Council was a "gamechanger" which made the service possible.
Can Glen Innes ever hope for a formal standalone PCYC of its own?
"I'd love to see one I'll just put it that way, I'd love to see one.
"Unfortunately with a PCYC because it's a relationship between (civilians and police) a lot of stars have to align for a PCYC to be built in a specific town.
"There has to be the ability to give two (local) police officers.
"Youth crime has to be at a certain percentage, population (is a factor).
"I'm hopeful that when they go through and look at our new strategic plan that Glen Innes might be successful, it's definitely been on the radar before."
Sam said the outreach program was a step on the road to establishing one, naming Grafton as a town where PCYC operated for years on an outreach basis before setting up permanently.
"The hardest thing - we won't be able to really get to the real root of the issue.
"What do young people do there? What you find with these small towns is you get that small crime because they're bored.
"What does a 15 to 16 year old do?"
Andrew Messenger
Politics, environment and energy journalist at the Northern Daily Leader. I also write about health, bushfires and occasionally music. I'm a Brisbane boy by way of Charleville and Hobart who now lives in in beautiful New England. Get me at andrew.messenger@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Politics, environment and energy journalist at the Northern Daily Leader. I also write about health, bushfires and occasionally music. I'm a Brisbane boy by way of Charleville and Hobart who now lives in in beautiful New England. Get me at andrew.messenger@austcommunitymedia.com.au
