{"id":231562,"date":"2019-03-25T15:28:54","date_gmt":"2019-03-25T05:28:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=231562"},"modified":"2020-07-22T10:07:19","modified_gmt":"2020-07-22T00:07:19","slug":"meeting-to-focus-on-crime-solutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2019\/03\/25\/meeting-to-focus-on-crime-solutions\/","title":{"rendered":"Meeting To Focus On Crime Solutions"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Deputy Mayor Kathy Duff, Murgon Business and Development Association secretary Margaret Long and Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien at the launch of the Murgon CCTV project in Murgon in 2017 … looking for solutions to youth crime<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

March 25, 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

South Burnett Deputy Mayor Kathy Duff is hoping a community meeting in Murgon on Tuesday night will bring the communities of Murgon and Cherbourg together to tackle the problem of youth crime in the towns.<\/p>\n

The town hall meeting has been organised by Cr Duff and local pastor Max Conlon, who has been recently overseeing the AIM Church in Cherbourg.<\/p>\n

“He is an Indigenous pastor and highly respected Elder,” Cr Duff said.<\/p>\n

Max will be chairing the meeting, which will also be attended by senior police from the Dalby-Burnett Patrol Group responsible for the South Burnett region.<\/p>\n

“We need to get Cherbourg people and Murgon people to work together to solve the issues,” Cr Duff told southburnett.com.au.<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of these solutions could be the introduction of night activities at the South Burnett PCYC in Murgon.<\/p>\n

A similar program has been running for a short time in Moree, in northern NSW, and has so far proven successful.<\/p>\n

Activities start at 9:00pm in the Moree program.<\/p>\n

Children who would otherwise be wandering the streets drop in and enjoy games with their mates and build more positive relationships with local police.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“I would like us to mirror what’s happening in Moree,” Cr Duff said.<\/p>\n

She hoped that if a similar program could be organised on a Saturday night in Murgon, it could also provide a meal for the children.<\/p>\n

“A lot of the children aren’t being looked after. A meal is what could make the difference,” she said.<\/p>\n

Cr Duff said she was trying to get the community “to buy in” on the idea, and offer to volunteer to help make it a reality.<\/p>\n

However, she said it was also important to continue lobbying for more police in the area, especially after hours and on weekends.<\/p>\n

Cr Duff said the Murgon community felt like it was getting “belted from pillar to post”.<\/p>\n

But she said the meeting at Murgon Town Hall would not be about “getting up and whingeing about what has happened”.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“There won’t be any room for people to be negative,” she said.<\/p>\n

It will begin at 6:00pm.<\/p>\n

Volunteers from both the Murgon and Cherbourg Men’s Sheds will be providing a sausage sizzle.<\/p>\n

Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien will also be attending the meeting but\u00a0Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington will be an apology as State Parliament is sitting.<\/p>\n