By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
CASEY schools may get a visit from uniform police next year to encourage students to back law enforcers.
Five meetings attended by former drug addicts, youth workers, police officers and Casey councillors were held at each council ward for the first time this year in a bid to teach residents what they can do to assist police.
Casey Inspector Paul Breen spoke at every meeting with one message – “we’re in it together”.
“We wanted people who attended the forum to leave with the understanding that Casey’s high crime rate is not just a police problem but their problem as well,” Insp Breen said.
Touching on drug addictions, theft from cars and crime gangs at each forum, Insp Breen said he was disappointed at the low numbers of attendees but believes people who did attend left the forums more informed.
“We had about 30 to 50 residents on average at each forum and I think people didn’t have a realistic understanding of the strong hold of drug addiction.
“But they left with a realisation that people can’t just stop being addicted,” he said.
Councillor Amanda Stapledon said she’s been inundated with responses from attendees since the last ward forum on Wednesday 25 November.
“After the presentation there was further discussion and since then I have received numerous emails from community leaders and school principals asking what they can do to help,” Cr Stapledon said.
Schools have been selected as the next point of call since the forums and Insp Breen said: “Targeting youth is so important because they are our future.
“Above all else it’s our continual drive to prevent crime – Police in Schools is no longer running like it used to, police now attend schools when required.
“Next year we hope to put a strategy in place to do forums in schools as a targeted approach over a period of time,” he said.
