Wanganui's youth issues will come under scrutiny during an urgent meeting this afternoon.
Mayor Michael Laws said he gave instructions to council officers last week to start planning a youth summit because youth issues needed attention.
"I have asked Cr Sue Pepperell to lead the councils response. Sue is the managing editor of youth magazine Tearaway and in touch with youth needs and aspirations," Mr Laws said.
Gordon Frew, whose son Jeremy was killed in Wanganui on November 6, will attend today's meeting after a request from Mr Laws.
"His public comments earlier this week were born of pain but were both honest and courageous."
Mr Frew told the Chronicle this week problems with gangs and youth in the city needed to be addressed.
He said kids were carrying knives because they were scared of being stabbed.
Mr Laws said there were many different groups in the city and each needed to be reached in order to make a real difference.
"It's clear there are a group of gang prospects who are proving troublesome. These are quite apart from a number of Wanganui teens who tend to get blotto every Friday and Saturday night out of sheer boredom. Violence and drugs also haunt those fringes."
The city needed a no tolerance policy of drugs and alcohol, matched with a need for better youth facilities, he said. Cr Pepperell said her entire campaign had been focused on youth issues and she wanted young people to know the council was listening.
She was responding to yesterday's Chronicle article where Wanganui teenager Kim Vinnell called for the council to front up.
"I agree with that; but we have to start somewhere, there's too many people working in isolation.
"Let's empower our young people and get them involved in decision making, get things happening and show we are listening to our young people," she said.
One way of doing this was to create a youth council. "I've seen them work really effectively in other areas, but that's not to say they're the only answer?rather than adults coming up with the solutions we need to get as many young people as possible in the decision making."
A council community committee meeting on December 7 would see the youth council proposal introduced and a presentation by former All Black Norm Hewitt and anti-drugs campaigner Trevor Grice.
"They've formed a group that comes into communities and works closely with them ? young people, agencies and parents," she said.
Something already suggested by the group was the removal of the Kowhai Park skatebowl. Mr Laws said skatebowls throughout New Zealand had become known places for drug dealing, bullying and gang prospect activity.
"This advice has been confirmed to me by both the police and youth workers in the city. Skatebowls only work if they're in open places, around well lit areas and monitored easily by foot traffic," he said.
Youth Issues under scrutiny
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