A program that sees police and youth workers work together to help young people who have come into contact with police is being extended to Shepparton.
The Embedded Youth Outreach Program responds to young people who are at risk of long-term involvement in the criminal justice system, including offenders, victims and vulnerable young people such as missing people.
Police officers and youth workers will work collaboratively to identify services to assist young people tackling certain issues, which may be breakdowns in family relationships, alcohol or drug abuse, unemployment, mental health issues or disengagement from school.
The Victorian Government announced four years’ worth of funding in the state budget this year for Shepparton to join a trial of the program.
It is expected the program will be expanded to Shepparton before the end of the year, once a youth service agency has been identified.
According to police, evidence shows there are links between the trauma young people may have experienced in their lives and their vulnerability to crime either through becoming a victim or an offender.
The program allows police and youth workers to identify at-risk youth and target their needs, while also intervening early to address those needs to interrupt the offending pathway.
The program operates seven days a week outside business hours, reflecting the times when police most commonly encounter at-risk young people and when services may not be readily available.
Victoria Police youth portfolio holder Commander Mark Galliott said police welcomed the announcement from the government to fund the expansion of the program.
He said the inclusion of Shepparton in the program came as a result of the challenges faced by youth in the area, while there was also a significant number of local youth service providers who could follow up and engage with young people who were referred to them.
Commander Galliott said there had been great benefits for the police officers who had been paired with youth workers in other areas.
“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.
“Because EYOP generally engages with young people at a critical point in their lives, and immediately refers a young person to the most suitable support agency, it has a greater preventative focus than simply responding to increasing crimes by the young person and repeatedly putting them before the courts.
“We know that locking up young people should be our last option.
“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.”