Hannah Hammoud
The Embedded Youth Outreach Project (EYOP), a Victoria Police initiative aimed at preventing youth offending, will soon be rolled out in Melton as concern about youth crime mounts.
The program responds to young people who are at risk of long term involvement in the criminal justice system.
Victoria Police youth portfolio holder Commander Mark Galliott said the unique program involves police pairing up with youth workers to provide an after hours response and referral service for vulnerable young people who come into contact with police.
“EYOP has been operating across Wyndham, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Dandenong, Casey and Pakenham areas for nearly five years with great success,” he said.
“Given the areas share similar challenges, EYOP will expand from Wyndham into Brimbank and Melton. Given youth offending is overrepresented in these areas, this will ensure the program is reaching those who need it the most.”
Commander Galliott said police officers have seen great benefit in pairing up with youth workers to tackle issues including, breakdowns in family relationships, alcohol or drug abuse, unemployment, mental health issues or disengagement from school.
“Youth workers have a different approach, with their own set of skills and knowledge in being able to assess a young person’s risk and provide referrals to the appropriate services,” he said.
“Police officers learn from these interactions and subsequently better engage with young people in their work.”
The EYOP will operate seven days a week outside of business hours to reflect the times when police most commonly encounter at-risk young people and when services may not be readily available.
Commander Galliott said “locking up” young people should be the last option for police.
“We need to work collaboratively with support agencies to ensure our young people are better engaged and have the opportunity to contribute positively to the community,” he said.
