Rock attacks force Halls Creek community bus to discontinue service

A Halls Creek bus that gets a hundred people and children safely home a night was cancelled after people hurling rocks as big as dinner plates smashed the vehicle’s windows on three occasions.

After three rock attacks in eight weeks on the new 12-seater bus, Jungarni Jutiya Indigenous Corporation put the Toyota Commuter in the garage for 11 days because it was too dangerous for their clients and the driver to continue the service.

“It is so dangerous to have windows smashed by rocks while in motion and with passengers inside,” the organisation posted on its Facebook page.

“We urge the community to band together and stop this antisocial behaviour. Enough is Enough.”

It follows a rock attack by youths on the Halls Creek People’s Church Frail Aged Home on October 16 which left one nurse injured and was followed by four staff leaving town out of fear for their safety.

Jungarni Jutiya chief executive Sharon Bambling said she felt frustrated that they had to cancel the night patrol.

“Obviously we feel frustrated because we are offering a service to the community. . . it’s the lack of respect for what we are doing,” she said.

Jungarni Jutiya’s Community Connect service operates five days a week from 3pm to 10pm or midnight taking up to 100 people safely home.

The bus picks up children along with people affected by alcohol or at risk of harm.

The organisation purchased a new bus to replace their old one eight weeks ago, but it already has dents from rocks down both sides of the vehicle.

Ms Bambling said when the new bus was off the road being repaired they took out the old vehicle but that got smashed, too.

On the last occasion, it was being driven down Duncan Highway about 7.15 pm on October 19 when a rock “the size of a dinner plate” smashed through the back window.

“The driver just saw people running away,” she said.

“It’s ad hoc. We don’t even think the last one was children, normally it is children, it’s kids throwing rocks.”

Ms Bambling said they were planning to add extra lighting to the bus and were investigating reinforcing the windows to make them harder to break.

The Community Connectors bus resumed its service on Tuesday, November 1.

On Facebook the organisation posted, “The Community Connectors program is a free and confidential service which is there to provide information, referrals to external agencies, assist in emergency situations or simply just someone safe to talk to.

“We look forward to assisting the community and continuing to provide safe transport home for all of our clients.”

Halls Creek police Senior Sergeant Simon Womersley said the rock attacks on the Community Connect bus and the Halls Creek People’s Church Frail Aged Home were both still under investigation.

“We have had instances of rocks being thrown at houses and vehicles and reports are being investigated. We are taking steps to address this issue,” he said.

Halls Creek Shire president Malcolm Edwards said when Halls Creek had problems with rock throwing and break-ins in 2019, youth diversion program Olabud Doogethu had been successful in turning that around with their day and night patrol officers.

“There was quite a drop off in crime, they were having some success,” he said.

However, Olabud Doogethu no longer conducts day patrols and it is understood their night patrol team has been reduced from about 15 or 16 to as low as four some nights.

“They are absolutely struggling with these youths, they have even had rocks thrown at them,” he said.

Olabud Doogethu has recently held two meetings in the men’s tribal area with male community members in which they discussed what to do about the escalating rate of youth crime.

On the organisation’s Facebook page a post read, “Our first men’s barbecue and yarn was well-received and well attended, with constructive discussion on how to tackle some of the issues we face in our community. It was unanimously agreed to continue these sessions, so we are doing it again this week. It’s time we share the load and work together in our community.”

The Kimberley Echo tried to contact Olabud Doogethu for comment but was unable to reach them.

The Community Connectors program is a free and confidential service to provide information, referrals to external agencies, assist in emergency situations or simply just someone safe to talk to.