Punish the kid crims

SOMEBODY stop the merry-goround. It’s spinning faster and faster and unless our society addresses the escalation in juvenile crime in our region as a united front our community will suffer badly for generations to come. Children as young as 14 are stealing our cars and breaking into homes at alarming rates. There has been a 31.9 per cent increase in vehicle thefts in the past 12 months up from 267 in 2015-16 and 349 in 2016-17. It’s unacceptable. There have been promises of a Rapid Action Policing unit from the state’s top cop and both sides of politics say they have the answers. But still we see images of burnt-out stolen cars after joyrides and hear of sorry tales from their victims. This week Trinity Beach couple Renae and Sean Horan told how they had bought a new home after being broken into and their car stolen and dumped.

They spent thousands on security and their car but the invasion of privacy and emotional trauma was too much so they’re moving.

The punishment for one of the offenders? Kian Brian Talty was jailed for 18 months, only to be released on parole.

He faced 63 charges including crimes against the Horans.

Sixty-three. Yes, he did do some time but most would agree this penalty did not match the crimes.

This is not someone who has made a bad decision once, or even twice, in his life. Our justice system must be the big brother of our police service. It has to meet the expectations of a society that says it has had enough of being held to ransom by children.

Confidence has been eroded and unless we are serious about stemming our shameful juvenile crime increases we have to get tougher on repeat criminals. Programs and organisations such as Project Booyah do a tremendous job with children who are in danger of taking the wrong route in life and are part of the solution. However, for those already down the wrong path, stronger measures are needed.

People need to lock their homes and cars and anyone who doesn’t is foolish.

But that isn’t a reason to not punish someone for disrespecting somebody else’s property.

We hear endlessly people asking where are these kids’ parents? It’s their fault. Well, of course it is.

I would argue many of these parents are as disengaged as their children, incapable or drowning in the inevitable and ultimately debilitating trap of feeling selfentitled and untouchable because society has allowed this to happen.

Bring back consequences befitting the crime and offer hope to those who need it — including their parents.

PROMISES OF ACTION FROM BOTH SIDES OF POLITICS ACHIEVE NOTHING WHILE LAW ABIDING PEOPLE LIVE IN TERROR OF THE TEEN GANGS WHO ROAM AT WILL BREAKING INTO HOUSES AND STEALING CARS AND PROPERTY — IT SIMPLY HAS TO END