An Indigenous leader in Western Australia claims at-risk children have been left “traumatized” after police arrested three teenage boys while they were taking part in a program designed to keep them out of trouble.

Detectives attended the Wadjak Northside Aboriginal Community Center in Perth’s northern suburbs on Thursday and arrested three 16-year-old boys, charging them with a number of offences.

Aboriginal Legal Service of WA (ALSWA) chief executive Wayne Nannup said the arrests took place in front of children attending a session of a federally funded program aimed at diverting children from the criminal justice system.

Mr Nannup told the ABC that up to a dozen police officers arrived at the Old Ways New Ways meeting to arrest the three boys.

He said the incident was “disturbing” and had stressed and traumatized other attendees and staff present.

“It’s completely unacceptable to me on every level, when we’re trying to put together a program that’s going to help the community and get kids out of the (justice) system and we have to deal with that, it’s just unbelievable,” he said . .

Mr Nannup said the police could have approached the matter differently.

“It takes a lot of work to gain the trust of these kids and now we have to take three, four steps back again,” he said.

Boys accused of theft

WA Police said on Friday morning they had charged three boys with a total of 20 offenses following an investigation into burglaries in Perth over the past two months.

Two of the boys were charged with aggravated burglary and theft of a motor vehicle, and the third was charged with attempted aggravated burglary.

Police did not say how many officers were involved, but said body-worn camera footage of the incident had been reviewed and “it is clear the officers acted in a calm and professional manner”.

“No formal complaint has been received in relation to this incident.”

Mr Nannup said despite the alleged offences, it was not the time or place to arrest the boys at the meeting.

“Some of the other guys in the program were visibly distraught,” he said.

“That’s their experience now – they’ll only think about their peers or frat boys who have been put in handcuffs.

“They need to feel safe to come into our program and we felt that was significantly disrupted.

“This program has received a setback, but we will continue to focus on it. Our young children need it.”

Boy released from custody

One of the accused boys appeared in Perth Children’s Court on Friday and was granted bail after pleading guilty to multiple offenses of aggravated burglary and theft.

The court heard the 16-year-old from Ballajura had been attending the Old Ways New Ways program for the past three weeks and was “doing well”.

Magistrate Stephen Vose told the court in considering whether to release him from custody he had to weigh the need to protect the public against the potential benefits of the boy remaining in the programme.

“If someone makes an effort, albeit a late effort, that means a lot to me.

“There’s always hope, people can and do change… you’ve taken a few steps in the right direction.”

In addition to the boy’s progress with the program, Magistrate Vose said he also took into account the fact that the offenses did not involve violence.

He instructed the boy to continue the diversion program and resist peer pressure to relapse.

“If there are people in your life who are pulling you down … you’re going to have to keep your distance,” he said.

“It’s not an ideal situation”

WA Premier Roger Cook said he had called for more information about what happened.

“I understand that (the police) did not know the circumstances of those people who gathered there, but I will continue to investigate further and find out what happened here,” he said.

“My concern is for those young people who were participating in that program.

“These programs are important because we know that diversion works … and we know that if we can get young people on a better path, they won’t come into continuous contact with our justice system.

“It’s not an ideal situation.”

The Old Ways New Ways program is described on its website as “an alternative model to youth diversion to help turn the tide in youth detention.”

It would “enclose the young person and their family in a central hub environment, providing innovative, evidence-based and culturally safe services that will support young people and lead them on a path to healing away from the justice system criminal”.

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