A community-minded approach to antisocial behaviour is making a difference at Fountain Gate Shopping Centre.
In September last year, Dandenong-based Afri-Aus Care partnered with Victoria Police and Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) to provide an innovative outreach program at the shopping centre.
Volunteers drawn from the Pacific Islander and African communities along with Victoria Police spend Thursday nights walking through the centre, engaging with youth to find out more about them.
The volunteers then provide referrals to other services, such as mental health or relationship support, as needed.
An ADRA support bus sits outside the centre, welcoming in those who need to talk to someone or ask for help in a quiet location, and providing information on what sort of support is available.
The program aims to deter young people from committing crimes before they happen.
So far, they have reported great success, with antisocial incidents decreasing.
Victoria Police local division superintendent for Casey, Cardinia and Dandenong, Paul Hollowood, said the program was providing a “positive result” with a reduction in repeat offending in particular.
“Because we’re dealing with youth on a whole range of issues, like family violence, mental health, crime, etc., what we’re finding is we’re able to provide that support to youth who would not necessarily have had that available to them,” he said.
“When we get in early with the preventative approach, it’s likely to stop that offending before it occurs.
“We’re looking at expanding that approach to be better engaged.”
Volunteer Ruach said many of the youth they were engaging with felt isolated from the wider community and faced the prospect of a lack of jobs and discrimination.
He said they needed support to feel welcome and to be able to get on the right track.
“I want to tell people not to be scared because Sudanese are good people,” he said.
“The generation born here is Australian, not African.”
Kimi, another volunteer, said he loved providing the outreach service and wanted to help the community.
“We can sense if people really want to talk, then we start to engage. We talk to anyone. We just ask how they are.”
Westfield Fountain Gate Centre Manager, Cathy Main, said the centre saw engagement with the community as “fundamental”.
“The Afri-Aus Care initiative is an example of how we work in close partnership with key community leaders and organisations, Police, emergency services as well as local and state authorities to ensure the wellbeing of our customers, retail partners and employees, and to collaboratively address emerging social issues.
“The program helps community leaders, emergency services and businesses such as ours to more proactively work together to identify and build rapport with young people who may need some extra support, and to give them that connection and sense of belonging in their local community.”
Founder of Afri-Aus Care, Selba Gondoza Luka, said the group had been approached by Dandenong Plaza to run a similar program.
Afri-Aus Care hopes to expand the problem to other shopping centres around Dandenong, Cardinia and Casey, but is calling for funding to support the rollout.
