Assistant Commissioner Cassar said the tour was about discussing the not-for-profit organisation’s youth programs.

“Youth issues is a key area for Commissioner Michael Fuller and putting the time and effort in to them,” he said.

“He appreciates NSW has got the greatest capability in resources to tackle youth issues. As far as Australia goes, we have the greatest number of PCYCs, 64 PCYCs with 120 police as well as the supporting command.

“In the last six months we’ve been working on a strategy, that is looking at not only facilitating programs, but pulling those programs into key themes, such as fitness, anti-social behaviour, domestic violence and social interactions,” he said.

Assistant Commissioner Cassar said those programs were also aimed at getting youth back into school or into the workforce.

“Our main objective is to get kids back into school always,” he said.

“That is why we are so interested in how close we are working with the school principals to keeping them in school.

“But we appreciate that with 15, 16 and 17-year-old’s there is a percentage that are at a point were they won’t fit back into school, so we want to give them an opportunity to connect to employment.

“As soon as they get that connection, it gives them a greater sense of pride, a greater sense of interaction with their community, they can contribute to their community, to their social network and they are earning a wage, so they have greater capability to do things,

“Some of these kids may also be in a position to then contribute to their families, which gives us a grater chance to keep them out of jail,” he said.

The Assistant Commissioner said he was impressed with all the PCYCs he had visited during his tour.

“As far as the resourcing goes I’m very impressed, there is a big mix of facilities and I’m seeing a consistency between police and the managers working at them,” he said.

“The relationship between police and the PCYC managers, the volunteers and paid staff is great, they are all very committed to the task at hand, and that’s to work with kids and give them the opportunity that they may not normally have.

“That’s the benefit of PCYC, it gives kids a good place to go, no matter what their situation is and they will always be accepted,” he said.

Cowra PCYC Manager Stewart Mead, said it was an exciting time for the Cowra PCYC and was glad to have the Assistant Commissioner visit.

“He’s got a deep interest in how things work here,” he said.

“The numbers of people coming through the club, what we are offering and how we are working with the kids to help them to stay at school and find work.”