
Premier commends HYPE youth project at Ocean Keys
27/10/01
Premier Geoff Gallop and Community Development Minister Sheila McHale teamed up with former Perth Wildcat James Crawford to launch a summer activities program for youths at Ocean Keys Shopping Centre at Clarkson today.
The Premier and Minister were visiting the HYPE youth project at Ocean Keys which has successfully prevented young people shoplifting at the centre and limited anti-social behaviour like graffiti and vandalism.
The Premier officially launched a three-on-three basketball tournament, run by James Crawford's Great Mates initiative, and a series of sausage sizzles for young people laid on by the Ocean Keys Shopping Centre.
"HYPE is a great example of how private industry can work with Government and the local community to prevent anti-social behaviour and its associated problems and build strong and safe neighbourhoods," Dr Gallop said.
"Coles-Myer is to be congratulated for adopting the HYPE model here at Clarkson which is proving to be a big success. The collaborative effort between the company, shopping centre management, the Department of Community Development, police and local community is to be commended.
"This Government will through the Office of Crime Prevention be encouraging and supporting projects like HYPE which work to prevent and limit anti-social behaviour and crime in our communities."
HYPE was started in January 2000 to address the problem of hundreds of young people, up to 700 at a time, congregating at Hillarys Marina and engaging in anti-social behaviour including underage binge drinking, sexual activity, drug taking and gang fights.
The HYPE program has been so successful at Hillarys, it has been introduced at shopping centres across the metropolitan area including Woodvale Boulevard, Forest Lakes, Maddington and Whitford City. It is currently being considered as a possible model for shopping precincts in Kalgoorlie, Geraldton and the Scarborough foreshore.
Ocean Keys at Clarkson was the first new shopping centre to introduce the HYPE program from the first day of trading in June 2001. Shopping centre owners Coles Myer were impressed by the success of the HYPE program and keen to cultivate a good relationship with local young people at Ocean Keys from the start.
Coles Myer adopted the HYPE model for Ocean Keys employing four HYPE workers and creating a designated caf?, named Area 51, where young people could congregate. Coles Myer has also funded the new three-on-three basketball court next to Area 51 at the centre.
The success of the HYPE model is that it makes young people feel welcome and gives them a place to go while at the same time discouraging anti-social behaviour. HYPE workers develop good relationships with the young people and will always try to talk them out of anti-social behaviour. If they do not co-operate, however, they are dealt with by shopping centre security or the police.
"Young people are an important part of our community. They need our guidance and support and they need to be made to feel welcome in our society. The HYPE project does just that and provides a safe, drug and alcohol-free environment for local kids," Dr Gallop said.
Community Development Minister, SheiIa McHale, said "HYPE works so well because it builds relationships of mutual respect between young people and the adults at the shopping centre.
"A measure of its success is the fact that there has not been one report of young people shoplifting at Ocean Keys since the centre opened in June this year," she said.
Coles Myer and HYPE have engaged the services of the James Crawford and the Great Mates program to run Thursday night activities for young people at Ocean Keys.
Great Mates is a one-to-one mentoring program which involves sporting role models working with young people to help reduce anti-social behaviours and build strong positive relationships.
Great Mates will run the three-on-three basketball tournament at Ocean Keys every Thursday night from 6.00pm to 9.00pm for the next eight weeks. This will coincide with a sausage sizzle for young people, which will be sponsored by the centre.
Media contact: Kieran Murphy 9222 9475