Glebe cops engaging with locals

Local police officers are attending Glebe Youth Service’s After Dark program to engage with the younger generation on Friday and Saturday nights.

In a community known for its high youth crime rate, police want to redefine the relationship between officers and young people by interacting with youth in a friendly and relaxed environment.

For the past six weeks police constables Jeremy Addison and John Brettle have attended the After Dark program every fortnight and say the new scheme is “breaking down barriers”.

In previous years, youth crime was a real problem in Glebe and occurred mostly at night.

“Petty crime has been part of a lot of families’ lives,” said Keiren Kevans, coordinator of Glebe Youth Service.

Mr Kevans said there was typically tension between youth and police. “You do get sometimes an ‘us and them’ type of scenario between police and young people,” he said.

The After Dark program was set up in response to youth crime at night, aiming to provide a safe and fun alternative. On Friday and Saturday nights, 40 to 100 young people attend the program in the Peter Forsyth Auditorium from 7.30pm to 11.30pm.

With the police now attending, Mr Kevans said it “is a way of police forming relationships with young people and helping to divert, and encourage them away from crime”.

“When I first came here [to Glebe] there were two groups that didn’t want to talk to each other and that was the police and young people,” he said.

Police attending the program said they hope to break down stereotypes of fear and misunderstanding.

Constable Addison said police are “playing basketball, running around and just hanging out” with youth.

The officers wear uniforms when they attend “to get them (the youth) used to the blue uniform in a non-threatening environment”.

“[If young people] have a problem, say they find themselves alone in another part of town, they won’t be afraid to approach a police officer,” said Mr Kevans.

The police presence connects local youth with the wider community.

“They feel like they are part of the community and less like they have to resort to crime, [and are] more likely to develop positive aspirations around education and employment,” said Mr Kevans.

Constable Addison cautioned “it’s still early days” says, but the move is hoped to be a long-term benefit for the Glebe community.

By Amanda Copp