Report crime anonymously.
ACT Region Crime Stoppers (ACTRCS) has launched an innovative youth awareness campaign aimed at empowering young people to take an active role in crime prevention. With the theme “We Speak Your Language,” this campaign connects with the younger generation by using relatable language, fostering trust, and breaking barriers of fear and uncertainty around reporting crime.
The campaign focuses on educating young Canberrans about crime prevention and the importance of reporting suspicious activity. It provides tools and resources for anonymous reporting, while emphasising empowerment, responsibility and community impact.
A dedicated landing page, ReportITCBR.com.au, will host campaign content, promote safety messages, and provide links for anonymous reporting through ACTRCS. By making crime prevention relatable, ACTRCS aims to inspire the next generation to help build safer, more connected communities.
Oliver Forrester, Chair of ACTRCS, emphasised the importance of the campaign “By speaking their language, we make crime prevention part of youth culture. This builds trust and empowers young people to take responsibility for their communities. Together, we can create a safer Canberra.”
Young people are at a formative stage in their lives, making education a powerful tool for shaping attitudes and behaviours. Educating youth about crime prevention not only equips them with the knowledge to protect themselves and their communities but also fosters a greater sense of responsibility.
Mr Forrester went on to say, “Education helps young people recognise risky situations, avoid dangerous influences and resist peer pressure, which are common precursors to youth offending. By speaking their language, this campaign makes crime prevention approachable and relevant to their daily lives.”
Although youth crime in the ACT has significantly decreased in recent years, challenges remain. From 2011–12 to 2021–22, the youth offending rate dropped by 76%, but youth crime still requires focused prevention. Recent changes to legislation in the Australian Capital Territory highlight the importance of youth-focused crime prevention strategies. The minimum age of criminal responsibility has been raised to 12 years and will increase to 14 on 1 July 2025. These changes reflect a commitment to rehabilitation and early intervention, making it crucial to provide young people with the tools to contribute positively to their communities.
This crime prevention education aims to bridge the gap between youth and law enforcement, making young people feel more comfortable collaborating with authorities to improve community safety.
ACT Policing Detective acting Superintendent Sam Norman said every bit of information, no matter how small it may seem, helped police piece together an investigation.
“Crime Stoppers is a key part of our ability to gather information about crime as it happens. We urge all young people to do the right thing and let us know about information they have about a crime or incident. That piece of information might seem insignificant to you but may be very useful to us as we work to identify and charge an offender.”
ACTRCS hopes by using relatable language and easy online reporting, they can, together with ACT Policing, foster trust and break down barriers of fear and uncertainty around reporting crime with Canberra’s youth.
This campaign is being rolled out with the support of the ACT Government.
