Presentation of inaugural Violence Protection Awards

16/3/93

Three Western Australian projects set up to help reduce the level of violence in the community have won commendations in the inaugural Australian Violence Prevention Awards.

They are:

·         the WA Aboriginal Driver Training Program, designed to deter young Aborigines from being involved in unlawful acts such as police car chases;

·         Project Turnaround, a Community Policing and Youth Insearch Foundation project, which brings together police, young people at risk and other authorities to help divert youth from a life of crime;

·         the South Hedland Sobering Up Centre, a community-based project designed to help intoxicated people avoid involvement in public or domestic violence.

Presenting the awards today, Police Minister Bob Wiese said each of the projects had achieved outstanding success in dealing with violence prevention.

"The Aboriginal driving scheme, for instance, has operated for five years and helped about 500 young people obtain licences," Mr Wiese said.

"Being legitimate drivers and having better employment prospects are achievements which they do not want to jeopardise by breaking the law."

Mr Wiese said the South Hedland project had helped reduce street crime and domestic violence by providing a non-judgmental, caring environment in which people affected by drink could sober up.

Similarly, Project Turnaround, which used the 'adventure camp' approach to bring young offenders in contact with caring adults and police, had resulted in attendees committing less offences.

Mr Wiese said the awards were a joint Commonwealth-State initiative administered by the violence prevention unit at the Australian Institute of Criminology.

They were established by the Australasian Police Ministers Council in 1991 following the Strathfield massacre in NSW when a gunman went beserk in a shopping centre slaughtering seven people before turning the gun on himself.

The awards attracted almost 200 nominations, 13 of which shared prize money totalling $100,000.  The three WA projects each received $1,000.

"The awards underline the value of community involvement in violence prevention initiatives," Mr Wiese said.

"By tackling such problems at a community level society has a better chance of dealing with violence rather than waiting for police to be called in when things get out of hand."

Media contact: Barry Thornton 322 2311 or 222 9595