Youth crime discussion enters classroom

ABOUT 150 Inverloch Primary School students gathered in the school’s gymnasium on Tuesday, August 11, where they received a rare first-hand insight into youth crime thanks to a visit from local police.

Acting Sergeant Zane Maligeorgos from Wonthaggi Police was joined by members of the Proactive Policing Unit, all of whom spoke to Grade 5 and 6 students as part of the school’s Civics and Citizenship studies.

The session came as students prepare to debate the most effective way to reduce youth crime, with harsher punishments, or rehabilitation.

Acting Sgt Maligeorgos first became involved in the program when he was working as an officer in charge at Inverloch Police Station.

“I thought it was a fantastic opportunity to present, connect with the school, shed some light on the topic and just engage positively with the children, since the topic is current as well,” he said.

The presentation from the police explored both the causes and the consequences of youth offending and its impact on victims and the community.

Students also learned about the influence that negative friendships and environments can have on a young person’s life, as well as available support services, cyberbullying, responsible social media use and the consequences of entering the criminal justice system.

Acting Sgt Maligeorgos said the situation can often be quite nuanced, with a combination of both punishment and rehabilitation often required.

Police could use cautions for first-time offenders, while escalating behaviour could result in bail conditions, curfews, restrictions on associating with co-offenders or an appearance before a magistrate.

Police also often work with young people, families, carers and support services to encourage behavioural change and prevent more offending from occurring.

“The objective is to change the behaviour,” Acting Sgt Maligeorgos said.

“But if kids are still committing very serious offences, then obviously, for the safety of the community, we have to deal with that appropriately. It’s a case-by-case scenario.”

He said reducing serious crime was a regional priority, along with improving community confidence and ensuring residents felt safe and protected in both their homes and their communities.

Students showed a lot of enthusiasm when asking questions on the topic, and had the opportunity to take part in an interactive “show and tell” session involving operational police equipment.

Inverloch Primary School Principal Ben Soumilas said connecting students with community support networks, such as the police, helped prepare them to become more independent and capable adults.

“We need to make sure they have a positive appreciation for the role of police, and having the police able to come in, educate our students and connect with our students is such a critical step,” he said.

“There are probably too many people who only deal with the police when there’s a problem, and we want our students to understand and appreciate the breadth of work the police do.”

Following the strong response, the school requested another session to allow further questions at the end of the unit.