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Awards for anti-crime and violence programs

Friday, 15 April 2011

Twelve Victorian projects have won state and national awards for their efforts to make Victoria safer at the Australian Violence and Crime Prevention Awards.

Minister for Crime Prevention Andrew McIntosh today congratulated the winners for their work to reduce family violence, anti-social behaviour, re-offending to protect children and vulnerable youth.

“All of today’s winners have one thing in common – they perform a vital function for the community by tackling crime and violence before they happen,” Mr McIntosh said.

“These 12 winning Victorian programs highlight the fact that in many respects, crime prevention begins in our own backyards – in our own streets and suburbs.

“Importantly, these awards also recognise and reward the hard work and commitment of project teams that develop and deliver crime prevention solutions.”

The Bridge Project, run by YMCA in Fairfield, received a national certificate and $15,000 for its work providing support, training and employment opportunities for young offenders in Melbourne.

“This project is a great example of a program aimed at helping young Victorians trapped in the cycle of crime and its success can be measured by the fact it has reduced the rate of re-offending among participants to just 3 per cent,” Mr McIntosh said.

Two other Victorian projects won $10,000 and a national award:

• The Bsafe Pilot Project: Bsafe is a personal alarm system developed for victims of domestic violence or people at risk of domestic violence. This pilot has been successful in reducing the instances of violence where the alarm is used, as well as making at-risk people feel safer in their own homes.

• Operation Newstart: Operation Newstart gives selected school children the chance to participate in challenging, outdoor, recreational and vocational experiences to address behavioural issues. Participation in the program has reduced the number of court appearances and police cautions among participants, and has contributed to higher school retention rates.

Nine other Victorian programs received state awards for certificates of merit, including an advocacy service for victims of domestic violence and an intervention program for violent and aggressive adolescent youths.

The Australian Violence and Crime Prevention Awards have been awarded annually since 1994.

For more information, see www.aic.gov.au/crime_community/acvpa.aspx

110415 McIntosh - Awards for anti-crime and violence programs (PDF 45KB)