The Territory Labor Government is creating safer communities by targeting high-risk young people in Alice Springs through the establishment of the Interagency Case Management Group (ICMG).
The Alice Springs ICMGs core focus is to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in Alice Springs through early intervention and prevention tactics. The ICMG will focus on up to 30 high-risk young people and their families, and take action at a case management level to reduce the likelihood of future offending or reoffending.
The group includes staff from Territory Families, Northern Territory Police, and the Department of Education. These are the agencies that are the key responders to child, family and community issues.
This collaborative approach will ensure that high-risk vulnerable young people and their families are identified and engaged early on, and have access to appropriate services to get back on the right path.
The ICMG formally commenced operations on 1 October 2018 and is currently working with 20 high-risk young people and their families. Already two high-risk young people have been relocated from a high-risk environment in Alice Springs back to the community with family.
The ICMG is based in the Minerals House building. They will report to the Interagency Tasking Coordination Group (ITCG) on a fortnightly basis and will be reviewed at the end of January 2019.
As stated by Chief Minister Michael Gunner
Every Territorian has the right to feel safe and expect their homes, businesses and property to be secure.
We need to get young people on the right path and away from the cycle of crime, and to become productive members of our community not life-long criminals.
That is why we have established the Alice Springs Interagency Case Management Group. This group will monitor, coordinate and take action on high-risk young people in Alice Springs, and ensure that they intervene early to prevent these young people from engaging in anti-social or criminal behaviour.
This initiative is already seeing results, with two at-risk youths being relocated to the community with family.
Unlike the chaotic CLP who cut funding to intervention and youth services in Alice Springs, the Territory Labor Government is doing more than ever to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.
As stated by Minister for Territory Families Dale Wakefield
The ICMG will steer high-risk young people away from entering the youth justice system - and away from a life-time of crime - through early intervention and prevention approaches. The group will not only work with these high-risk young people, but also with their families.
The ICMG is made up of specialist staff in the areas of child protection, youth justice, law enforcement, and education. Other agencies including non-government organisations will also be part of the group on a needs basis.
Along with establishing this group to tackle youth crime on a case management level, the Territory Labor Government is also investing a record $18.2 million annually into youth diversion and alternatives to detention. This is doubling the amount under the previous CLP Government.
