Newman residents prepare for community forum to address rising youth crime concerns

Newman locals are rallying together in protest of soaring crime rates in the mining town but while some are crying out for change others say the issue is “inciting divides” within the community. Tonight’s evening of mediated discussions, hosted at Mia Mia House in the Dessert’s conference room, is expected to pose questions and concerns direct from locals about increasing youth crime in the community. It comes off the back of a North West Telegraph report into a wave of damage across sporting clubs experiencing weekly crime hits, forcing volunteer organisations to foot hefty repair bills. Shire of East Pilbara president Anthony Middleton, Newman police, EPIC, Ashburton Aboriginal Services, social worker Sandra Collard and pastor John Wilmot are expected to represent to community in the discussion. Meeting organiser Cheryl Glover said she initiated the forum to bring solutions to the table. “The problem is someone is going to take (matters) into their own hands and that is what we don’t want, we just need to find some solutions,” she said. “It is not going to happen overnight - there is crime everywhere in the world - but we just want to keep our little town here safe.” Aboriginal Male Healing Centre founder and Noongar and Wajarri Yamatji man Devon Cuimara said the forum had incited a divide in Newman and though he hoped for a positive outcome more needed to be done to engage with local Aboriginal stakeholders. Mr Cuimara the event needed to be more than “disgruntled” locals complaining about youth and wraparound solutions were vital. “More needs to be done to approach Aboriginal organisations about the issue (the organisers) probably wouldn’t even know half of us exist,” he said. He said he worried the issue, which had started to divide locals on social media, would focus on race and hoped for constructive solutions. Centrals Football Club in early June told the Telegraph “not a week went by” where Newman’s sporting clubs weren’t broken into by young thieves seeking booze. “Everyone up here is working really hard, we work long hours and it’s just a kick in the guts every time it happens,” he said. “It’s hard enough getting volunteers in your club and then when stuff like this happens, everyone says ‘what’s the point?’” Newman Police Senior Sergeant Ray Anderson told the Telegraph the club thefts were hurting the community. Sen. Sgt Anderson said multiple offenders were responsible for the vandalism. “The target is without question alcohol, that’s what they’re going in for,” he said. “Money is hard to get, volunteers work extremely hard and my heart really feels for them.” A Shire of East Pilbara spokesperson said they would be attending the meeting called by members of the community and would comment further once the issues were brought to the table.