It should not be brushed aside as mere media hyperbole.

The clawing reach of youth crime touches all corners of our community.

Too many good people have been assaulted, had property stolen or had their home – their sanctuary – ransacked.

Each new chapter in our youth crime horror story evokes a similar response.

They blame bleeding heart magistrates, deadbeat parents, drugs, political correctness, rap music ... the list goes on.

The inconvenient truth is that no one has a silver bullet solution to youth crime.

There are myriad reasons a young person can deviate into anti-social behaviour.

The prospect of prison might be a deterrent for some, but for others it’s a rite of passage.

What young offenders need most isn’t incarceration, it’s a different kind of circuit breaker.

They need a purpose.

They need self-esteem.

They need positive role models.

They need love and encouragement.

If these things can’t be found or nourished at home, a young person will look elsewhere.

And that can lead them down a path to the abyss.

As a community, we can’t punish our way out of this problem.

We need to try and re-engage at-risk teens.

That’s where groups like PCYC come in.

The PCYC doesn’t just provide a space for troubled young men to “hang out”, but it actively engages them on their level.

It develops their skills, character and leadership and, as a byproduct of that, dramatically reduces their chances of re-offending.

Wagga is fortunate to have the support of such an important organisation.

Next week, state planners are expected to approve a gleaming new PCYC at the old South Wagga Bowling Club site.

Of course, it can’t solve the city’s crime puzzle alone; it’s only a part of the solution.

But it’s an important part.

The $15 million facility won’t just be a welcome addition to our cityscape, it will be a potent weapon in our war against youth crime.

As such, it deserves our continued support.