Constable Care

Constable Care is a nationally registered harm prevention charity and utilises a range of educational approaches to engage and empower young people, including theatre-in-education and applied theatre, technology and film based content.

The performances are supported by curriculum-linked classroom resources and tailored to the learning needs of students from pre-primary to Year 12, covering topics such as bullying, cybersafety, alcohol and drug abuse, protective behaviours, racism, road safety, relationship violence and mental health.

Students' change in knowledge, attitude and behavioural intent towards each topic is measured pre and post incursion through evaluation processes developed through University-led research partnerships.

In late 2013 Constable Care launched its youth theatre brand Theatrical Response Group (TRG), a tongue-in-cheek nod to the organisation's long standing connection with WA Police.

In September 2014 the organisation commenced delivering this program in remote Aboriginal schools in the Pilbara region, placing indigenous actors and facilitators in classrooms to work with students for up to 2 weeks at a time.

In 2019 the organisation introduced a new "Rapid Response" model to its Forum theatre lineup, creating performances that respond to emerging themes identified by the audience in real time.

In May 2016 Western Australia Police filmed a video featuring the Constable Care mascot dancing with uniformed officers as part of the worldwide online Running Man Challenge.

The program commenced in 2019 and evaluation of outcomes continues to demonstrate that it is highly effective in changing knowledge, attitude and intent to behave for the 1,700+ young people who have taken part (as of 30 June 2022).

The organisation started working in partnership in 2014 with Edith Cowan University WA Screen Academy on a series of online interactive youth crime prevention films under the banner "Your Call", with the first (#Emilywasted) on binge drinking among teenage girls released in June 2015.

Three further interactive films on young male aggression (Shirtfront), car theft (Wreck) and mental health and drug use (Pressure) were released in September 2015, December 2015 and January 2016 respectively.

Constable Care commenced planning in late 2012 to build and operate a road and transport safety experiential learning centre for children aged 4–11 years at its site in Maylands.

Thanks to the support of Lotterywest and a number of corporate sponsors, the 3,500 sqm centre was completed and opened in July 2017 and now provides a fully functioning urban streetscape for practical bike and pedestrian skills education.

It also incorporates an Augmented reality experience on iPad minis that enables children to identify and resolve pedestrian, bike and public transport safety risks overlaid on the environment, with results tracked in real time and linked to WA curriculum education outcomes.