Joondalup schools join fight against crime

3/3/00
Schools in Joondalup have joined forces with local government, businesses and other key community groups to help curb anti-social behaviour in the district.
Launching Education 2000 at the Edgewater Primary School today, Education Minister Colin Barnett said schools would play a major part in enhancing the quality of life in the City of Joondalup.
Mr Barnett said that to help achieve this, City of Joondalup aimed to establish better links between it and the community.
"Schools are an integral part of the community and they should be involved in anything which will make the area a pleasant and safe place to live," he said.
"One of the initiatives is the junior ranger program which encourages primary school students to report any graffiti or vandalism in the community.
"It is hoped the involvement of primary aged students will reinforce in them the unacceptability of graffiti and vandalism.
"With their help graffiti and vandalism will be reported early and removed or repaired quickly."
Mr Barnett said through its Community Connections initiative, the City of Joondalup had developed programs which addressed certain issues and targeted specific groups within the community.
The programs complement the State Government's Safer WA initiative which seeks local solutions to local problems.
He said one of the major programs involved working closely with local schools to establish new learning opportunities for school children.
The program had been developed with the help and input of the Education Department.
Plans were already under way for new initiatives, including the Mural Art Challenge, Smart Schools project where students come up with a no smoking campaign and the Adopt a Coastline project which involved dune rehabilitation.
Media contact: Diana Callander (08) 9222 9699