The Youth Crime Prevention and Early Intervention Program (YCPEIP) aims to reduce youth offending, and improve community safety.
Learn about the program, who is eligible, and where it takes place.
About the program
YCPEIP aims to reduce rates of offending and re-offending for children and young people who commit low-level, less serious crimes.
The program helps to steer young people away from the criminal justice system, and minimise their contact with police and the courts.
It does this by:
- issuing cautions, warnings, and diversions, and
- providing referrals to specialist support and legal services.
Cautions, warnings and diversions
Under the program, when a young person commits a low-level crime, police may issue them a:
- caution or diversion, or
- pre-charge warning.
A caution is a formal alternative to being charged by police. It means that a person will not go to court for their alleged offence, and will not record a criminal conviction.
Police issue cautions on a case-by-case basis. We will also consider the young person’s:
- role in the offence
- offending history
- living situation
- age, and
- impact on any victims.
Victoria Police will continue to seek remand for young people responsible for serious and violent offending.
We will only use cautions and diversions for less serious crime, or first-time offenders.
Referrals to support services
Police will also make immediate referrals to social support and legal services. These services aim to find the young person the help they need, and address their reasons for offending.
This includes support for:
- family violence
- mental health
- drug and alcohol use, and
- finding education and employment.
Who is eligible
The program is for children and young people who:
- are aged 10-24
- have committed low-level, less serious crime, or are a first-time offender.
Where the program runs
The program runs across Wyndham, Brimbank and Melton.
It will extend to Dandenong, Frankston, Geelong, Latrobe, Mildura and Shepparton.
YCPEIP is a collaboration between Victoria Police and Westjustice. It is co-led by Victoria Legal Aid and Youth Now, and supported by services in Victoria’s western suburbs.
Program evaluation
Read the final evaluation report for the Youth Crime Prevention and Early Intervention Program:
Updated