Youth hubs cut Kimberley crime in their first two years
Two youth night spaces in Western Australia have significantly reduced youth crime in their first two years.
Two youth night spaces both launched in 2024 as pilot programs to address rising youth crime. Broome's independent evaluation shows crime fell sharply across three local suburbs in its first 13 months.
The Broome space has recorded about 9,900 interactions with young people and currently opens five nights a week from 10pm to 5am. Fitzroy Crossing has engaged over 950 young people and served more than 55,000 meals.
Police say the programs have built trust between young people and officers. The Fitzroy space has a basketball court, multiple rooms and a lawn for play, while both offer safe space and meals.
The WA Children's Court president says he hopes a similar program will reduce crime in Kununurra, where a temporary space opened in August. The spaces are being called a blueprint for other Western Australian services.
- 9,900
- Broome interactions
- over 950 young people
- Fitzroy Crossing engaged
- 55,000
- Meals served in Fitzroy
- five nights a week, 10pm to 5am
- Broome operating nights
Why it mattersDemonstrates a practical, community-led model that reduces youth crime by providing safe alternatives and meals at night.
AustraliaShows a scalable approach that could be rolled out across rural Australia to tackle youth crime and improve young people's wellbeing.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
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