Springvale Senior Constable Jamie Aitken faces one of his greatest challenges yet at the Victoria Police Ropes program last week.By Shaun Inguanzo
YOUNG offenders and the police who arrested them cast aside their differences last week to complete one of the greatest challenges of their lives.
The Victoria Police Ropes Program at Mount Eliza took place on Friday as a relationship-building exercise between young offenders and police members.
The program has been running since 2002, but this was the first time it involved young offenders and police from Melbourne’s south east.
The program involves a young offender – under 17 years of age – and the member who charged him or her teaming up and completing a challenging high and low ropes course at Camp Manyung.
Police from Greater Dandenong were among those involved in the program.
Springvale Senior Constable Leanne Cooper, one of the Youth Resource Officers running the project, said the program provided an opportunity for police and youth to meet on a level playing field.
“The program is designed to take people out of their comfort zone and build trust and communication between police and the participants,” Sen Const Cooper said.
“It’s great for breaking down barriers and helps police to directly address the issues in young people’s lives, such as the decisions they’ve made which have negative consequences.
“We can then follow up with these young people and provide them with the right advice and support to make better decisions in the future.”
And it appears the program is working.
“There have been 375 participants from Victoria in the ropes course up until now and of those, only 12 per cent have re-offended,” Sen Const Cooper said.
“A lot of previous participants have spoken about the positive impact the program has had on them and we are extremely pleased to be able to bring it to our police service area.”
The program also offers young offenders the chance to clear their name – providing an incentive to undertake it.
“Once they successfully complete the course they get a clean slate and don’t incur a criminal record and they can then get on with their lives without a criminal conviction,” Sen Const Cooper said.
The Ropes Program is supported by the YMCA, Victoria Police and the Dandenong Children’s Court.
