Kwinana program provides safe ride for teens

Kwinana teenagers wandering around late at night now have a safe ride home, thanks to a new Australian Red Cross program aimed at helping young people off the streets.

The Late Night Youth Program, a partnership with Kwinana Aboriginal elders and community members, started in August and has so far helped 78 young people, aged eight to 19, get home safely.

Medina Aboriginal Cultural Group committee member and Red Cross officer Donna Brahim said the group was motivated to act after a community forum was held earlier this year to stop rock throwing and other anti-social behaviour.

"The program is not just about dropping them off, it is about engaging them and having a conversation and asking what they're up to," she said.

"It's about making them aware of the risks associated with being out there alone at night."

Aboriginal elder Lindsay Calyun said he originally began picking up his own children, and found he was taking others home as well and needed support to get more children off the streets.

Red Cross community services senior manager Barbara Hollin said the group operated four nights a week - Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday - and staff members and volunteers worked shifts driving a van to pick up teenagers until late.

Mrs Hollin said the second phase of the program was opening the MAC group centre to give young people a place to go for food, support and activities if they did not want to return home.

"There is nothing else open when the Zone Youth Space closes, so there is nowhere for young people to go - we will try to fill that gap," she said.

Kwinana Senior Sergeant Glen Willers said he was confident the service would help police reduce crime.

"This is something we strongly support because it helps us deal with the underlying causes of crime," he said.

"We are hoping it will reduce rock throwing and just in general, it will improve the behaviour at the central business district area."

The program was made possible by a grant from the WA Police for a pilot program.

To volunteer, contact 9225 1984.