YOUTH PLAN FOCUS ON CRIME, DRUGS

Amid the clatter of skateboards Christchurch's youth played, while a
few blocks away the city's leaders launched their three-year vision
for teenagers.

Eleven Government agencies gathered in Christchurch Mayor Garry
Moore's office yesterday to announce their vision =AD"A collaborative
plan for Christchurch youth 2003-2006".

Under the plan seven key priorities have been identified by the
agencies =AD including reducing youth offending and tackling drug and
alcohol abuse =AD to bring "better social outcomes for the city's 13 to
19-year-olds."

Canterbury police superintendent Sandra Manderson said the plan was
unique in bringing together all those agencies which dealt with the
city's youth.

"This is a proactive plan for dealing with youth offending and other
issues and problems (they face)," Ms Manderson said.

When told of the plan for their future, the teenagers at the Moorhouse
Avenue skatepark had mixed feelings.

Thomas Clark, 16, said he hoped if there was a plan for the city's
youth, then it would involve people who understood what they wanted.

Pointing to the concrete skatepark, he says: "see that part that was
designed by the council =AD no-one uses it .. but the rest was done by
this guy who skates, he knew what we wanted," Thomas said.

Polytechnic student Aaron Caughley, 16, could see some merit in a
combined approach to helping the city's youth.

"If there was some place where there was all the information you need
to help you, that would be good," Aaron said.

"Some people come here (the skatepark) with no jobs and no education,
and don't know where to look for a job, but there are cleaning jobs
and stuff out there for them they don't know about," he said.

At the plan's launch Ms Manderson said all the agencies involved,
including the city council, Ministry of Maori Development, district
health board and Work and Income, wanted a "better future for the
city's youth".

That future was based on reducing youth offending, working to keep
students at school longer, and bringing a greater youth focus to the
community.

The plan was launched a day after figures released to The Press showed
a surge in violent crime by teenagers during the last 10 years.

Mayor Garry Moore was optimistic about the plan. "This is getting
everybody working together and talking about our kids, not somebody
else's kids," he said.