www.newcastlepost.com.au


POLICE MATTERS with Sergeant Adam Webb


Safe people, safe places


approaches to children in public places throughout the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie areas. With these disturbing


I


incidents taking place, it is important for parents to sit down and talk with their children about the issue of stranger danger. T ere are some quite simple things that you can tell your children to minimise the risks of these unwarranted approaches. It is always safest for


children to walk near busier roads or walkways where there are a lot of people about. It goes without saying that many of these approaches occur in secluded locations where there are very few people to see what is going on. You should encourage your children to always walk directly home or to whatever location they are going. It is a reality that children aren’t always frank and


n the past few weeks there have been reported instances of unknown people making


honest with their parents, but if possible, encourage your children to let them you know where they are and when they will be home. If your children walk to


the same places everyday, such as school, a bus stop or the shops, take the time to walk with them and point out “safe places” such as a shop, service station, library or a police station. In the event something goes wrong or they become frightened, they should go to a safe location such one you have previously shown them. Encourage your children


never to talk to people they don’t know and never to get into a car with strangers. Most importantly, if your


children are ever frightened encourage them to call 000 or get someone to call 000 for them. If you see suspicious behaviour, particularly around children, we would ask you to call the police on 131 444. A child in distress will always be of the highest priority for police.


For all police matters police.nsw.gov.au


Cycle breakers Helping young people to reconnect


RICHARD MORROW T


he cold Newcastle streets are the last place you would want to be sleeping this


winter. However, without the help of charities combating youth homelessness, this could be reality for many young people across the Hunter. T e Samaritans Reconnect


service is one such charity that is trying to break the cycle of young people moving from refuge to refuge, couch surfi ng and ultimately ending up homeless. Director of client services at


the Samaritans Rob Dawson said the service, which had recently been given an extension of funding by the federal government until June 2013, was keen to continue supporting at-risk children across the region. Mr Dawson said, since April


2010, 188 young people had been helped by members of the charity, who work to reconnect young people with their families and assist in fi nding them employment. Samaritans Reconnect co- ordinator Bronwyn Macintosh


FROM LEFT, KATIE BROWN, BRONWYN MCINTOSH, AMBER LARKMAN AND ALYCE MCKEOUGH


said the service worked by bringing normality back into young people’s lives. “We work with young people


environment,” she said. As well as helping young


to fi nd community support while trying to create a stable living


people, the six members of the Reconnect team, based in Broadmeadow, have published a book titled Beyond Belief, which is a series of real life stories on parenting and adolescent experiences across Newcastle and the lower Hunter. While the book may be


a permanent collection of their work, both Mr Dawson and Ms


Macintosh hope the service will receive further funding after the current allocation expires next year, in order to continue the fi ght against youth homelessness in the Hunter.


we do scrap - APPLIANCES - CARS - CAR PARTS - CLEAN UPS - MACHINERY - we do scrap


PICK UPS AVAILABLE - recycle today & save tomorrow - PICK UPS AVAILABLE ph 0423 779 100


43 90 7302


5


LOCAL NEWS


The Newcastle Post


Wednesday, May 16, 2012


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56