Proactive policing a win
The perennial problem of the anti-social behaviour of a proportion of our Bendigo youth who congregate in the Hargreaves Mall cannot be approached solely as a “law and order” issue, and so it is encouraging to read of Sergeant Matt Hunt’s proactive policing unit’s strategy of “spending time with them and talking to them and actually learning about them as people” (“Little wins chip away at CBD trouble”, Bendigo Advertiser, August 27).
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Young people who do not value themselves cannot value anything or anyone else.
Complex and compounding personal issues of family breakdown and dysfunction, substance abuse, mental illness, poverty and educational disadvantage resulting in unemployment often underpins the social disengagement and undesirable behaviour we see in the mall.
Personal responsibility certainly has a role to play, but there must be services and support for families and youth which foster and ensure a sense of belonging to and valuing of community.
More police reactively effecting more arrests cannot fix these problems, which are common to many regional cities.
Our society needs to be fairer – we need to prioritise family and early childhood services, adolescent mental health services and alternative education and vocational training programs for young people who simply don’t fit the mould in terms of traditional mainstream schooling.
Michelle Goldsmith, Eaglehawk
Mall runs hot and cold
Sergeant Matt Hunt and his merry men, the Bendigo police, have, and are, doing a good job in the mall.
Councillor Lisa Ruffell is totally correct the mall in Bendigo is cold and the seats will burn you in the summer and freeze you in the winter, and what is it with the big TV screens that show still trees?
The mall needs some sort of cover over at least half of it to protect us from the elements.
Malcolm Pethybridge, Bendigo
Ballet lights up the stage
On Friday night I had the pleasure of attending Melbourne City Ballet’s production of Romeo and Juliet at JB Osborne Theatre.
This emerging company certainly matched or overshadowed any other ballet company that has performed in Bendigo and I have seen them all.
Carolina Pais was outstanding as Juliet and Tynan Wood complemented her fine performance as Romeo. It was exciting to see Emma Cheeseman perform before her home audience and showcase Bendigo talent.
It was wonderful that Crusoe College’s JB Osborne Theatre was chosen for their Bendigo debut. This wonderful little theatre acquitted itself well to such a professional production. I urge any lover of the arts to put Melbourne City Ballet in their diary.
Trevor Cox, Golden Square
Question to the council
I refer to comments by Ian Couper from the City of Greater Bendigo regarding organic bins.
Mr Couper reminded us that council voted to introduce the organics service and why. However, he doesn't say anything about the improper issuing of statutory declarations to the people of Bendigo who already have exemptions from using the organic bins or who are still applying for the exemptions.
The councillors did not vote for compulsory signing of stat decs by ratepayers who wanted an exemption from having organic bins on the same night they voted to implement the organics bin policy. So how has council slipped this procedure in with out our councillors voting on it?
Could Mr Couper or anyone from the council please explain to ratepayers and the people of Bendigo why they have added this extra burden (especially to our elderly) of having to fill out stat decs?