Youth program reduces re-offending by 80%

From left, Snr Constable Greg Newman, Lachie Zetti, Crystal Mitchell, Peter Shadforth, Edith Blanck, Superintend Craig Hawkins and Kam Shirzadi. Names and photos of the participants are withheld for confidentiality reasons.

Fourteen Sunshine Coast boys have recently graduated from a Nambour PCYC-based youth training program which has been so successful it has seen a decrease in reoffending by 80 percent.

Constable Greg Newman has been in charge of Project Booyah since 2019 and believes the success of the program is based around reconnecting disengaged teenagers with their community and helping them to transition back into education or work. 

“Project Booyah has been delivered by Nambour based police officers and uses a variety of educational strategies not always seen in the normal school setting,” he said. “These strategies have continued to produce outstanding results since the program first commenced on the Gold Coast in 2012.

“Our data on graduates over the past four years shows a decrease in reoffending and victimisation by up to 80 percent and the flow-on effect has seen participants re-engage in education while improving employment opportunities. We also provide ongoing mentoring for the next two years to guide our graduates through their transition to further education and employment opportunities.

“We simply cannot do what we do without the support of the local community including the Bli Bli Neighbourhood Watch who have provided breakfast to all of the cohort since 2019. Local businesses are also involved including Bli Bli Priceline Pharmacy where manager Kam Shirzadi has donated a host of toiletry items for male and female participants,” Greg said.

Edith Blanck Area Coordinator for Bli Bli Neighbourhood Watch said Project Booyah was playing an important role in the ongoing youth crime crisis. 

“This program is truly unique and I am not surprised it has achieved a success rate of up to 80 percent. It’s been wonderful to see another crop of graduates complete the program and re-engage into further education or employment. There’s also a female program which will begin after these school holidays and participants will graduate in late September.”