We can and do acknowledge the appalling behaviour of some young people is negatively impacting on mall traders, and others in the central business district.

It is understandable many traders don’t want to highlight the issue, as they fear doing so will drive shoppers and visitors away from the mall.

But we cannot ignore the fact there are issues in the heart of our city, and many feel unsafe working, shopping or visiting the CBD.

The behaviour of some young people is becoming more violent, disrespectful and intimidating.

That behaviour is not okay.

But let’s be careful of finding simplistic alternatives to simply ‘move them on’ or throw the full force of the law at them.

We need to be mindful we are talking about young people – people for whom we should not give up hope.

It is our collective responsibility to look more broadly as to why they are congregating in the mall, and at other shopping centres, and behaving the way they do.

That’s why it is encouraging to see traders, the City of Greater Bendigo, Victoria Police and the Department of Health and Human Services working together to try to better support this group of people.

As Senior Sergeant John Dalton says, increased police resources will be patrolling the mall and addressing unruly behaviour to ensure people can go about their business safely, but this addresses the symptom and not the cause.

“These kids need to be engaged into programs, and also if they should be at school they actually should be at school so the education department are involved in these talks as well,’’ he says.

As a community, what are we doing to support our young people? How are we engaging with them? How are we trying to understand them? How are we giving them the resources they need to succeed – whatever success may look like, to them?

With proactive policing and service integration, there is hope for change.

As the services aim to work with our young people, so too should we. 

And indeed, we should consider the suggestion of Cr Lisa Ruffell and continue to shop in the mall and wider CBD to support our traders.

Nicole Ferrie, editor