Manitoba Reserve Explains Decrease In Youth Crime

Manitoba Reserve Explains Decrease In Youth Crime

Tuesday, December 02, 2008 at 15:14

A remote, northern Manitoba First Nation has found a way to decrease youth crime — get the youth more involved in finding things to do.

The Pukatawagan First Nation’s youth chief and council spoke at the 2nd Annual National Aboriginal Justice Conference in Saskatoon yesterday.

The chief and 10 councillors run a youth drop-in centre that offers a place to just hang out, as well as programming.

The reserve’s youth chief, 17-year-old Tim Jorgenson, says he was headed down the wrong path until he became involved.

Valerie Whyte, a band councillor who volunteers to help the youth, says police on the reserve say they have noticed youth crime going down.

Whyte says violent youth crimes on the reserve have dropped by 66 per cent, while youth offences have decreased by 44 per cent.