Dubbo MP Troy Grant says from reports received it appears a number of young boys displaced from their homes across western NSW have recently "run rampage" in a Dubbo neighbourhood.
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The reports, sought from community leaders and police, show the youths were unperturbed by police intervention and repeated court bail was frustrating efforts to stop them, Mr Grant said yesterday.
He vowed to seek an explanation from the local magistrate and said efforts to improve a troubled area of Dubbo had achieved some success but the support of the courts was needed.
The state member made the discovery after he observed about 40 boys aged between seven and 17 years during a visit to O'Donnell and Alcheringa streets in what he referred to as "south West Dubbo".
The area has been in the spotlight, with Australia Post banning mail deliveries to eight streets more than nine months ago after attacks on posties by children, residents reporting of crime, and eviction of some families from public housing properties.
It is one focus of the Minister's Action Group (MAG) Dubbo, set up to develop and implement policies to reduce violence and anti-social behaviour across the city.
Mr Grant said he spoke to a number of the boys and they readily identified they were not from Dubbo but had converged in the city after being displaced from their homes in western NSW.
"After speaking to community leaders and the Orana (Local Area Command) crime manager it appears in recent weeks a number of these youths have run rampage with anti-social behaviour and damage across this area," he said.
Mr Grant was concerned by the latest reports and he contested the judiciary was key to change.
"We have been having some wins in south West Dubbo recently through MAG agencies efforts and this incursion from out of town impacts negatively and detracts from our community's efforts to build capacity and enhance that area of our city," he said.
"It is enormously frustrating that we have to constantly deal with what I have described as the 'Lost Boys' of society who bring an Australian problem to us that then becomes a Dubbo problem.
"As chair of the MAG I intend to write to the local magistrate for a please explain with court outcomes that do not reflect the community's expectations.
"As your local member along with police, DOCS (Department of Family and Community Services), Housing NSW, local schools, other government and non-government agencies, we are doing our bit.
"We will persevere but remain frustrated at being constantly called upon to fix everyone else's problems and we need our courts to help us in that pursuit."