LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Sir – Calls for the introduction of youth curfews in Alice Springs are ill-founded and dangerous.
Through Jesuit Social Services’ work with vulnerable young people, we know that many young people talk about strained relationships with the police.
Improving these relationships is the first step towards creating safer and more harmonious communities, and giving police officers the power to remand young people for being on the streets late at night will only do the opposite.
There are many reasons why young people may be on the streets at night, including an unsafe home environment or a lack of appropriate recreational activities. Implementing a curfew does nothing to address the underlying social welfare issues faced by young people and perpetuate already present negative stereotypes.
Clearly, the young people most in need of social support will be the ones most likely to fail the conditions of a curfew. When young people become involved in the youth justice system, it can often set them up for a lifetime of cycling in and out of the criminal justice system. We should be trying to divert young people away from this wherever possible.
While we value the often challenging work done by our police officers, it is important to remember that they are not youth workers. If we want to truly change the behaviour of young people, we must start by making investments into culturally relevant and accessible support services.
Julie Edwards
CEO, Jesuit Social Services