Jacquie Petrusma

Jacquie Petrusma MP - Member for Franklin
TASMANIAN POLICE AND CITIZENS YOUTH CLUBS
Matter of Public Importance
April 16th, 2011

Mr Deputy Speaker, as our shadow minister has stated, PCYCs are a vital community policing initiative, especially in regard to my portfolio of children, in re-engaging youth at risk and youth justice. They also provide vital recreational activities, especially in my electorate of Franklin, in Huonville and Clarence.

As our shadow minister was saying, if people are not sure about going to a police station to inquire about matters, they have no fear about going to their local PCYC and talking with a police officer on such matters. Police at PCYCs on a daily basis meet and talk with young people on a range of matters, including minor offences, criminal matters and even traffic infringements. Young people have even come into the local PCYC to hand themselves in for a major crime, community service orders and those on arrest warrants.

The public profile enjoyed by PCYCs should not be undermined by this Government. It is estimated that PCYCs, which are separate incorporated bodies, put around $2.5 million back into youth programs in communities through fundraising, donations, fees, volunteers and grants, which is far more than what is allocated from the Tasmania Police budget for police staffing. Also backing the PCYCs is a whole raft of service clubs, community organisations such as Rotary and Lions, philanthropic bodies and benevolent agencies.

PCYCs also provide the police staff with vehicles, associated office equipment and other support to do their police work. Feedback from a past president and board member of the Launceston PCYC is that the public profile and the police officers are integral to the local community. It provides the best public interconnection that is not achievable in any other forum and this Government cannot afford, in monetary terms or in community policing terms, to cut this valuable community resource.

Around the country, other States are increasing their support for PCYCs, not reducing them. In fact in some States the government not only provides civilian managers but also funds police officers. In New South Wales, both the Labor and Liberal parties promised staffing and additional funding to the PCYCs in New South Wales at the recent election and the new Liberal Government is providing funds for eight new PCYCs staffed by an additional 16 police and eight civilian managers.

The President of the Hobart PCYC, Mr Ralph Belbin, has been involved at this club since the 1980s and he says that PCYCs are frontline proactive policing which prevents a good deal of crime. I will now read directly from a letter from Mr Belbin sent to Minister Lin Thorp. The letter was sent on 1 April 2011.

'Dear Minister,

We are writing to you as it has become evident through reference to numerous recent media reports that the Tasmanian Government will be required to cut allocated budgets across most if not all sectors.

It appears that one sector where significant budget cuts have been made is that of the Department of Police and Emergency Services.

Recent media reports suggested that a cut of some 200 Police staff members might be necessary over the next few years in order to work within what must clearly be an extremely restrictive proposed budget. This point within itself raises significant alarm, however it is a more specific potential ramification of these staff cutting measures that I wish to broach via this letter.

There has been some speculation that significant staff cuts will be required to 'community policing' areas due to imposed budgetary constraints. It has been mooted in some circles that these cuts may indeed go so far as to impact on some of the police personnel currently attached to our nine Police and Community Youth Clubs - 6 Full time and 3 part time.

With this in mind, I wish to re-iterate the many substantive community benefits that exist as a direct result of Police and Community Youth Clubs throughout the state. In doing so I will make reference specifically to the Hobart Police and Community Youth Club as it is the club for which I am the President and about which I have greatest knowledge.

Hobart PCYC was formed over 58 years ago. It was officially opened on 20 November 1953 and was at this time known as the 'Hobart Boys Club'. On 8 May 1955 Hobart Police Girls Club officially commenced and in December 1964 the Boys and Girls clubs amalgamated forming the Hobart Police and Citizens Youth Club. The basic premise of the club was to provide a place for potentially wayward young people to go and engage in positive sporting and recreational activities.

The Hobart PCYC has gone from strength to strength and now has approximately 3 000 active members that utilise the clubs facilities. Some activities carried out include weight gym, gymnastics, boxing, many other self defence/martial arts classes ý and group activities ý

In addition to the abovementioned in-house activities that the Hobart PCYC provides, the Hobart PCYC now also offers several quality outreach programs. On 29 January 1996 the Hobart PCYC Mobile Activity Centre, MAC, program commenced. This program still operates today, with 5 additional MAC Units operating State-wide, and utilises two buses and two trailers loaded with assorted sport and rec equipment which travel to many locations to better bring sport and rec experiences to at risk youth 'in their own backyard' as well as to provide personal advice, counselling and support.

Other Outreach programs include

" A Reclink program operates throughout the year to engage unemployed/street youth in physical activities.

" a Teen Vacation program aimed at 'at risk' teenagers operates during school holiday periods and

" and an ongoing streetwork program that operates in and around the Hobart CBD.

For almost 60 years Hobart PCYC has successfully carried out its mission, which today is stated as follows - 'To provide low cost, positive sporting, recreational, social and cultural programs in a safe environment primarily for 'at risk' youth.'

Myself and the entire management committee hold grave concerns that if any real consideration is being given to reducing the current Police manning capacity of the Hobart PCYC it would no longer be able to function in the capacity it currently is and will no longer be able to effect its purpose as identified through its mission statement. We know at this time that Tasmanian Police provide two full time sworn Police staff to Hobart PCYC and that collectively they manage the club and all of its in-house and outreach activities extremely efficiently. Both sworn members display genuine passion and enthusiasm and always work many unpaid excess hours at the club in order to keep its current level of operations afloat.

The current partnership arrangement between PCYCs and Tasmania Police is one which yields so many community benefits. Many of these may be somewhat intangible or hard to quantify, but the amazing impact of such proactive operations cannot be understated.'