New figures have revealed the Kimberley is on track to record its highest number of juvenile arrests in four years.
Statistics tabled in WA parliament on Tuesday show the number of young offenders charged with crimes in the north since 2016.
Broome and Kununurra recorded the highest number of arrests consistently across the region.
The figures also revealed a marked dip in juvenile offending throughout the pandemic, only for numbers to rebound and surge again throughout 2021.
A spotlight was shone on juvenile crime last year with state politicians originally arguing it was a return to "pre-pandemic levels", but a number of high profile incidents strengthened local sentiment that youth crime in the region was worsening.
Figures have now confirmed 2021's rebound in youth crime with the region recording 302 juvenile offenders throughout the year — up from the previous year's figure of 221.
This year to date has also already recorded 163 juvenile offenders.
If the trend continues, 2022 could mark a four-year high for juvenile arrests in the Kimberley.
The figures also break down where offenders were committing crimes in remote communities with a police subdistrict, with Kalumburu on the northern coast and Dampier Peninsula the two communities with the highest arrest rates.
Businesses pay the price
President of the Broome Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Peter Taylor, said the chamber had been tracking the impact of youth crime on local businesses to present to the state government.
"We've recently done a survey of businesses across the whole Kimberley to understand that impact in terms of costs [and] business disruption … [and we've] put together a summarised report," he said.
Mr Taylor said the chamber would be presenting the report to specific ministers, breaking down how Kimberley businesses had dealt with the escalating crisis.
In the last year alone, $23,000 damage was done to the doors of Broome's Harvey Norman franchise, Fitzroy Crossing Annual Campdraft and Rodeo was called off due to repeated vandalism, and Marra Worra Worra Aboriginal Corporation was forced to temporarily close its doors over $150,000 damage done during a break-in.
Mr Taylor said it was clear the state government was aware of the issue with a $40 million commitment to extra police and community-led initiatives announced in May, but he said it was important for the federal government to also come to the table.
"I want to emphasise it's not just the Kimberley that's having these sorts of [problems]," he said.
"It's right across regional Australia.
It is understood one initiative raised by the community involves a community insurance pool similar to the federal government's recently announced cyclone re-insurance pool.
The pool would allow businesses to draw an off-set against youth crime, which often sees insurance costs sky-rocket in northern parts of the state due to a higher risk.
The WA government is set to begin rolling out other targeted measures to deal with youth crime next month.
