A community forum has heard of assaults and thefts from children, attacks on adults and threatening behaviour towards elderly people on buses and at bus stops by large groups of teenagers in Raymond Terrace.
Young and old people were afraid of going into the town centre because they may be targeted by gangs, the youth crime forum at Raymond Terrace Bowling Club on Thursday night was told.
Some shared emotional testimonies of frightening assaults.
They also spoke of growing frustration that police and the courts were not dealing with the issue appropriately and the potential of vigilante responses to the problem if something was not done.
Organised by Hunter sociologist and Raymond Terrace resident Karen van Lonkhuyzen, and community members Natacha Hess and Rod Bordett, the forum also heard from Neighbourhood Watch state secretary David Watmore, Port Stephens councillor Giacomo Arnott, and Kim McLoughry and Alex O'Neal from the Central Coast-based Regional Youth Support Services which has successfully helped deal with similar problems.
They all urged restraint from any form of retaliatory action and stressed that the youth responsible for crimes should be held accountable.
Participants have agreed to meet again in six weeks and called for a Port Stephens police representative and local MP Kate Washington to attend as they move forward with ways to prevent young people getting involved in anti-social and criminal behaviour, and deal with the current problems.
In the interim, Mr Watmore urged residents to report all crime and anti-social behaviour through the appropriate channels: triple-0 for emergencies, 131 444 for non-emergencies, and Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or through the online portal.
Mr Watmore said people might be frustrated if police do not attend immediately or at all because of resourcing, but reporting through those channels was vital as it built up a statistical base which would ensure appropriate resources were eventually sent to Raymond Terrace to deal with the issue.
"We may not like statistical policing, but it is a reality and it is how limited resources are distributed," he said.
"If you don't report crimes, or suspicious behaviours then background information for arrests and the statistics are not there to back up the resources that are needed to address your problems.
"Go through 000 or 131 444 rather than calling the station direct as there will be limited staff on the desk and they will be hard pressed dealing with a number of issues.
"If you call 000 or 131 444 the call will be logged and if it's an emergency you will receive the appropriate response."
Mr Watmore said in lobbying for more police resources and youth services a united approach as a group would work better and he encouraged participants in the forum to work together.
Ms McLoughry said she was not in Raymond Terrace to lecture the community on what they should do, but hoped the success of Regional Youth Support Services in dealing with troubled youth and diverting them from crime may act as an example.
She said the service began with two staff members and had grown to more than 60 staff who were able to assist young people find jobs, access mental health services, homes, connect to social services through to giving them safe places to go and things to do.
"I'm sure the solutions to your problems are in this meeting tonight. I can understand your frustration and not all the young people involved will want to be helped and will continue to commit crime and cause trouble," she said.
"They need to be held accountable. But our experience is they are a minority and we have had long-term success of young people who do come through our programs not reoffending, but also getting jobs, homes and having good lives."
