Editorial: Jesse Wray-McCann Photography: Nicki Connolly
There are very few police who have had such a powerful impact on the lives of young people in Victoria as Leading Senior Constable Mick O’Meara. The retiring Boronia officer has helped transform the lives of thousands of youths who have fallen foul of the law. Since he took it upon himself to establish the ground-breaking Ropes Program in 2001, almost 6000 young offenders have had the opportunity to correct their path in life. The program is an option for magistrates when dealing with first-time child offenders charged with a minor offence. It pairs the youth with the officer who charged them, and together they complete a ropes adventure course as part of a one-day program. Ldg Sen Const O’Meara uses the day to teach the importance of making the right choices, and successful participants avoid having a conviction recorded against their name. The concept is simple, the results are stunning. Of the first-time youth offenders the courts deal with using traditional sentencing options, about 40 per cent go on to commit another crime within 12 months.
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POLICE LIFE | AUTUMN 2019
But the recidivism rate for those who complete the Ropes Program is a mere 6 per cent.
ticking of the box to help kids escape trouble with the courts.
Ldg Sen Const O’Meara explains the Ropes Program acts as a circuit breaker.
Participants find themselves at points through the course dangling precariously 18 meters above the ground, and even some police officers have found parts of the course too tough to complete.
“What I was seeing were kids making a bad choice, making a mistake and then not being able to reverse the impacts of that choice,” he said. “They would choose to commit the crime, but then all the other dominoes had to fall because the police officer had no choice but to charge them, the court had no choice but to convict them, the prospective employer had no option but to refuse their job application because of their criminal record and overseas countries had no option but to deny them a visa because of their conviction. “I am never going to be able to stop those dominoes falling up to their court appearance, but the Ropes Program is a circuit breaker I can use to help stop the other dominoes from falling.” Yet the program – run through seven different Children’s Court locations across the state – is no walk in the park, and nor is it a simple
But complete it, they must. Ldg Sen Const O’Meara lays down the law and makes it abundantly clear to participants they only have one chance at the program. “No one is born with an IOU. It’s the choices we make in life that affect our chances in life,” he tells participants. “If any of you crack it today and tell me you want to go home early, I’ll give you a phone to call someone to pick you up, but just know that you’ll be back in court in a few days’ time to be dealt with. “At this point, the Ropes Program is everything to you, so make the choice to make the most of this opportunity. “The courts and Victoria Police are supporting you and working hard for you.”
