A community forum on the “crime crisis” on the Central Coast is being held at the Breakers Club, Wamberal from 2-4 pm on Sunday the 9th of March. There is a perception, especially in the wealthier regions of the Central Coast, that crime (particularly youth crime) is getting out of control, with increased reports of break-ins in recent months. A residents’ group convenes this meeting to discuss solutions and approaches to dealing with crime in our region. The meeting will feature a range of prominent local politicians, including Central Coast Mayor Lawrie McKinna, Robertson MP Gordon Reid, NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley, and Terrigal State MP & Shadow Corrections Minister Adam Crouch, as well as representatives from the police, Regional Youth Support Services, and the Central Coast Domestic Violence Committee. We have arranged for NSW Greens MLC and Central Coast spokesperson Abigail Boyd to attend, along with other representatives from our local group.

We encourage our members and supporters to attend, especially those with lived experience or first-hand knowledge of working with disadvantaged communities, victims or perpetrators of crime, youth rehabilitation and other relevant areas. We must push back against the instinct to target, punish, and institutionalise young (often indigenous) offenders that is playing out so disastrously in Queensland and the NT right now, and instead focus on real solutions to the root causes of crime – reducing inequality and providing rehabilitative support to vulnerable people.