Police Minister promises more talks to solve Bourke crime
Deputy Premier and Minister for Police, Paul Toole, is calling for a whole of community response to improve outcomes for young people and stem the rate of youth crime.
Mr Toole visited Bourke last Thursday and met with senior police, Bourke Council and PCYC management to get a firsthand account of the challenges and possible solutions to a rising rate of crime in the town.
He said making Bourke a community that was inclusive, that gave young people a sense of belonging and value was a critical component of dealing with young people falling foul of the law.
“There is great concern about youth crime, and we all want people in our communities to feel safe,” Mr Toole told 2WEB.
“The police here in Bourke are doing an incredible job dealing with the issues around youth crime and so is the PCYC, which I visited during my tour.
“I spoke with management and staff who have an incredible commitment to young people and work very hard with programs to support youth in the community.
“Some of these are run on Friday and Saturday nights, they’re important in the work they do but we don’t want to see them run for just a few weeks, we want them for the long term.
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