By LAURA WAKELY
ALL-GIRL youth gangs are on the rise in Brimbank according to youth worker Les Twentyman.
Mr Twentyman told Star last week that more young girls are getting involved in gangs, with female gangs being created across the West.
He named “Dubbdee” as one of the girl’s gangs he knew about and said their graffiti tagging was common around Sunshine.
Last week Mr Twentyman joined with iEmpower CEO Abselom Nega calling for a summit in the West to tackle the growing violence among youth.
They want the three levels of government, police, educators, businesses, community organisations and young people to meet in the coming weeks to address the issues that lead young people to crime.
Five teenagers were among those arrested in June after a string of incidents in which two cars were used to block off a taxi before the masked occupants used baseball bats to damage the vehicles and rob the drivers.
Four teenagers, including a girl, were also arrested after a crime spree last week, when a car was allegedly stolen and used in a hit and run.
The group are also accused of an armed robbery on the same night.
Mr Twentyman said 66 per cent of offenders at Children’s Court have “fractured educations” and said it was important to keep kids in schools.
“Kids are basically treading water waiting to drown,” he said.
He called on the Government to invest in youth outreach workers to assist students that were expelled, suspended or having family difficulties to help children “regain structure”.
He said the average cost of keeping a young offender in jail for a year could fund three youth workers.
Mr Nega said many young people in the West were disengaged from society without education or employment.
“Sadly many of these kids have come from families who didn’t have jobs, so basically it’s a long-term problem,” Mr Nega said.
“Unless we invest in these kids right now, the social cost is quite significant.
“Young people who are desperate… can do horrible things.”
