A group of South Sudanese adults has begun patrolling Melbourne’s western suburbs in a bid to curb anti-social behaviour.
Decked out in fluoro vests, the Sudanese Wyndham Patrolling Team is reaching out to young people who are vulnerable to lawbreaking.
This group of elders, who have volunteered to patrol the streets of Wyndham and neighbouring municipalities, say they want to bring about positive change.
How does it work?
From the time students are dismissed from school until around midnight, the team of dedicated volunteers patrol the streets of Wyndham and Melton to keep an eye on their youth.
Richard Deng, one of the group's founders, says one of the biggest concerns is children as young as 10 roaming the streets past midnight.
"We want to make sure they go back to their parents, that's the main objective of this patrol team," he told SBS News.
Werribee Police say they have a more proactive relationship with the Sudanese community as a result of the Wyndham Patrol. (SBS News) Source: SBS
Mr Deng says children are often lured into criminal activity by ring leaders and keeping them off the streets after hours will substantially alleviate this problem.
Police reaction
The Sudanese elders say a lot of their youth are intimidated by law enforcement officers because of a belief they will be hostile towards them.
However, since the creation of the Sudanese Wyndham Patrol team, the relationship between the Sudanese community and law enforcement has strengthened through better communication and understanding.
Senior Sergeant Peter Britton told SBS News the Werribee Police Station now has a better insight into the Sudanese community and relevant contacts within it as a result of a more "proactive relationship".
"Since we've ramped up these relationships with some of the local leaders, they've been able to come along to some of our training and meet with our local members," he said.
"Importantly, we get to have an insight into the difficulties they're having, not just from our point of view."
The Wyndham Patrol team has become a great asset to the Werribee police who can now ask the volunteers to inspect complaints that don't require police attendance, Sergeant Britton said.
"A lot of the time there's no criminal behaviour involved and they can get down there and just speak to the youth about their behaviour and maybe resolve the problems that we're seeing," he said.
Sergeant Britton says the effects of the volunteer program are already visible, with elders helping their youth have a better understanding of what type of behaviour is expected from them.
"The youth still gather at McDonald's and places like that, but their behaviour is better," he said.
"They have a better understanding from the community leaders saying 'look, the business want you there but they want you to behave this way so it doesn't have other customers not using the business'."
Community perception
"When we were beginning, the children were literally running away from us", patrol member, Henry Koor, told SBS News.
"Now the feedback is very positive. Some have approached me to say that what we're doing has been life changing."
For many of the youth, the patrol team has become a source of support and volunteers say they have been approached by youth seeking assistance for a variety of issues, including food and a desire to be re-enrolled in school.
The Sudanese Wyndham Patrol is helping to restore the lost communal connection between the youth and wider community. (SBS News) Source: SBS
"I think we are connecting with our young people who have lost that communal connection, which is something we need to retain because there are important values to be imparted along the way," Mr Koor said.
Related reading
Vic police arrest five Apex gang members
