WALK Away, Chill Out – that’s the message the Metropolitan South Region police and the Matthew Stanley Foundation are sending out to stop youth violence.

The two have teamed up to get the message out by sticking new Walk Away Chill Out (WACO) stickers to 115 police cars across the region, including cars at Redland Bay.

Paul Stanley established the foundation in the name of his son, who was fatally bashed outside an Alexandra Hills party in 2006.

With Queensland Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson helping launch the new WACO campaign on Tuesday, Paul said he wanted to get the message out as far and wide as possible.

“The message we’re trying to spread among the community – particularly teenagers – is really simple: Walk Away, Chill Out,” he said.

“The purpose of WACO is to teach teenagers how to deal with conflict in a positive way, by encouraging them to ‘walk away’ (which) gives them an out.”

Paul said his foundation often focused on stopping youth violence and spending time communicating to youth about the dangers of violence and fighting.

“But WACO takes it to the next level by drilling in the idea of ‘Walk Away’, which people can actually use if they’re caught up in a moment of anger or conflict,” he said.

“I’m really grateful the Queensland Police Service has got behind us in promoting WACO, by placing the stickers on the 115 marked police cars in the Metropolitan South Region.”

Queensland Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson said he was confident WACO would help teenagers realise that dangerous behaviour and violence were simply not worth the risks.

“Police cars catch everyone’s attention, and my hope is people will notice the WACO stickers and the important message they convey and spread the word to their friends and family.”

“The Queensland Police Service is regularly confronted by the results of youth violence and I commend Paul Stanley and the Matthew Stanley Foundation for their dedication in tackling these issues,” he said.

“Displaying these stickers on all marked police vehicles within the Metropolitan South Region until the end of 2012 is a way for the Queensland Police Service to promote and support the WACO initiative.”

Commissioner Atkinson said the WACO message would be on display from Redland Bay to South Bank and Wynnum to Inala.

The WACO message has also been displayed on a number of bus stops throughout the Redland City area since December.

Mayor Melva Hobson and her 10 councillors, along with the council’s chief executive officer and four general managers wore the t-shirts for the meeting, the last for the year.

The mayor said the campaign was timely and reminded teenagers to stay “chilled out” over the festive season.

The foundation’s Paul Stanley thanked the council for putting up the foundation’s posters at three bus stops in Redlands.

Mr Stanley is the father of teenager Matthew, 15, who died after being bashed outside a teenagers’s party in Alexandra Hills in September 2006.

At last night’s meeting, the council also refused to extend planning approval for a power station fuelled by chicken manure.

It adopted its long-awaited SMBI 2030 Community Plan and a decision to give a broader reading to Tree Protection Area laws.

The council also decided to waiver the state government’s newly introduced waste levy fee for charities up to the value of $1000.

Island commercial waste operators using mainland tips would be charged the levy but can get exemption certificates from DERM.

The council also decided to put its Housing Strategy up for public comment until February 8.

The strategy sets out guidelines on how to accommodate an extra 21,000 houses in the Redlands in the next 20 years.

A wish list of redevelopment options for Cleveland’s Toondah Harbour was also approved and will be sent to the state coordinator general in a bid to get government to take on the terminal’s overhaul.

The council also decided to launch an appeal to raise money for a grand piano for the Redland Performing Arts Centre.

New grand pianos cost upwards of $250,000 and a second-hand piano can cost more than $90,000.

The council also unveiled its 10-year financial strategy, which suggests rates will go up 4.5 per cent in the next financial year, contrary to what the strategy predicted in June, when a 7.5 per cent increase was tipped for next year.

THREE bus stops in Redlands are playing their part in keeping kids in the area safe and “chilled out” over the Christmas party season.
The large black-and-red posters, showing a clenched fist with the slogan Walk Away, Chill Out, were the brainchild of Paul Stanley.

Mr Stanley is the father of teenager Matthew, who died after being punched at a birthday party in Alexandra Hills in September 2006.

After his son’s death, Mr Stanley set up the Matthew Stanley Foundation in an effort to teach teenagers how to deal with conflict.

Mr Stanley said he wanted the posters to go at bus stops, where children and tourists would congregate, to get the message out to kids about the dangers of fighting.

He chose one of Matthew’s friends Jordan Rankin, who plays halfback for the Gold Coast Titans, to become a WACO ambassador.

“Jordan is 20 years old and was the second youngest person to play first-grade rugby league at the age of 16,” Mr Stanley said.

“He played touch against Matty and became a good friend.

“Jordy and I have worked closely over the past five years and he is a great role model for our youth,” Mr Stanley said.

Redland City Council had liked Mr Stanley’s idea so much, it bought the signs and got them made up at a Cleveland printers.

The signs were put up at the bus stop opposite Victoria Point State High School on Cleveland Redland Bay Road on Monday.

Another sign was erected in Middle Street, Cleveland, and the third sign is opposite the BP service station on Birkdale Road at Wellington Point.

“I reall wanted kids over the Christmas period to take notice of our WACO slogan, which stands for Walk Away Chill Out,” Mr Stanley said.

“Councillors loved the idea and some even said they would wear a t-shirt with our slogan on it to the last full council meeting of the year.

“Some of the councillors are also going to put our stickers on their cars, so the message is spread as far as possible,” Mr Stanley said.

The signs have been so popular, even Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson has expressed interest in visiting Redlands to check them out.