Orana Mid-Western Police renew commitment to stop youth crime

While youth crime remains a "challenge" across the country and in the Orana Mid-Western region, NSW Police is renewing its commitment to combat the pressing issue with Project Walwaay.

In the past month alone in Dubbo, five children aged between just 10 and 13 were allegedly involved in a police pursuit while just days later three teenagers allegedly stole a car in Macquarie Street and were then involved in a pursuit before robbing businesses at Elong Elong and Dunedoo.

Given crimes like that continue to be at the forefront of residents' minds, Superintendent Tim Chinn, the Orana Midwestern Police District Commander, expressed the importance of collaborative efforts to address this issue for the betterment of the community.

"Recognising the importance of youth engagement, the Orana Mid-Western police district has a youth engagement inspector, Inspector Russell McArthur, who looks at the various strategies and oversees the various activities our youth teams conduct to ensure that we're addressing this issue as best we possibly can," he said.

Project Walwaay, a New South Wales Police Force initiative, has been in effect since 2019 and was endorsed by Wiradjuri elders. The project aims to provide crucial support to Indigenous youth at risk and prevent their involvement in the criminal justice system.

Superintendent Chinn said the initiative is there to support youth at risk and prevent them from entering the criminal justice system.

"It wraps support around youth at risk and looks at what various services they may be lacking that may prevent them from leading into the criminal justice system," he said.

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Over the years, Project Walwaay has made a significant impact on the lives of young people in the region, providing intervention, education, and diversionary programs to 50 individuals aged 10 to 18-years-old.

The Aboriginal Youth Team (AYT), based in Dubbo, works closely with NSWPF's Youth Command to arrange engagement programs, including sporting programs held Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with more than 30 youths regularly attending.

Project Walwaay program includes:

The program also facilitates cultural trips for children who demonstrate ongoing participation in the program and good behaviour.

Senior Constable Ian Burns - supervisor of the Aboriginal Youth Team - said some of the success stories they've had include young people getting birth certificates or getting part-time jobs.

"We've also had some recent successes in engaging children and families who would not typically interact with the police," he said.

"This breaks the mould of where they've come from previously. So I think the success can be measured in lots of different ways."

The Aboriginal Youth Team in Dubbo, working closely with the New South Wales Police Force youth command, has played a crucial role in arranging engagement programs that encourage positive growth and development among young individuals.

"We want to help as much as we can, the Indigenous population but we certainly don't knock back anyone that if someone reaches out and wants some type of help or assistance. We're more than happy to do what we can," Senior Constable Burns said.

Superintendent Chinn urged for continued community support to further expand the Walwaay program's reach and impact.

"Ongoing Friday nights, we're looking towards expanding some of the programs where we can, but again, we look for community support as well. There's a lot of volunteers out there that we know would like to help," he said.

"We just ask that they contact ourselves or the team and come forward because that'll give us the opportunity to expand some of the program's success on Friday night."

Senior Constable Burns also expressed pride in the program's achievements and the positive outcomes they have witnessed over the years.

"It's an amazing setup," he said.

"In our sporting activities such as touch football on Monday and Wednesday, it's amazing to see them [the kids] go through from a younger age to now past their teens, still playing and still wanting to play in the police combined side with the youth and mentors.

"It's an amazing concept that teaches a lot of things about roles and responsibility and all those kinds of great things that you want young people to grow up with."

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