ANNOUNCEMENT OF $1,650,000 TO EXPAND SUCCESSFUL YOUTH PROGRAMMES

The Prime Minister, Rt Hon J B Bolger, today announced extra funding of $1,650,000 for Police to expand two successful programmes targeted at youth at risk.

These programmes are helping children who are at risk of beginning a lifetime of crime to seek assistance and support through a community approach, said Mr Bolger. It is important that we reach such children and help them make the right choice about their future.

Two key programmes will receive this extra funding.

The Mt Roskill Police Project - Community Approach Programme is a preventative programme aimed at dealing with youth offending and junior gang affiliation in Mt Roskill. This programme will receive $900,000.

The Turn Your Life Around Programme, based in Ponsonby, targets 10-16 year olds at risk of becoming offenders or have already been dealt with by Police. This programme will receive $750,000.

Both are very positive and constructive programmes which work in partnership with local communities and Police to help our young people improve their life.

These programmes are supportive of the Governments Crime Prevention Strategy, announced in 1994, which has as one of its seven goals to target preventative programmes for youth at risk of offending.

Mr Bolger also said that the Government was ensuring that young New Zealanders were helped to see better opportunities. This extra funding will mean that an extra six Mt Roskill-type police projects and an extra five Turn Your Life Programmes could now be established around New Zealand.