FIX BROKEN FAMILIES
Call to focus on home front to tackle juvenile crime plague
THE solution to the escalating youth crime rate in Cairns could be fought and won on the home front.
Politicians on all sides of the spectrum recognise the issue is out of control and believe ways to im- prove the essence of family life as the key to solving the problem.
It comes after a week of crime across the city, involving break-ins, assaults, car thefts and hooning, with youths being blamed for most of the increases.
TACKLING the fabric of family life has been touted as key to solving the out-of-control juvenile crime wave plaguing the streets of the Far North.
Figures released this week show car thefts in the region have jumped almost 32 per cent in a year and break-ins are up about seven per cent with youths among the main offenders.
Just this week boys as young as 9, 11 and 12 have been either charged or cautioned over alleged attacks on elderly people in a Manoora street, while a 15-year-old girl racked up 39 property offences across the city in a matter of days.
Those campaigning for the seat of Cairns in the next state election have concurred law and order tops the list of most residents’ concerns.
And while their methods to deal with the issue differ, there is consensus the issue with most of these young offenders starts at home.
“We’ve got to be tougher (on crime), but it’s about education too,” LNP candidate Sam Marino said.
“We’ve got a problem with the family unit breaking down.
“(The offenders) need to take responsibility for their actions, I’m a big believer in that.
“(But) mum and dad need to be responsible because it’s their kids after all.”
Independent Cairns MP Rob Pyne said it was about getting the youths into programs to assist them and called on the major parties to come to the next election with “serious solutions”.
“We need to build the family unit and support families to become more functional,” he said. “This is a big issue facing Cairns, there is no simple solu- tion. We need to get these kids off the street and into programs.”
Labor candidate Michael Healy said he shared “the concerns and frustrations” of Cairns locals.
“Residents in Cairns want policies to tackle youth crime that are based on evidence, not politics,” he said.
He highlighted the State Government’s $23.6 million funding to bring back youth justice conferencing, which resulted in young people having to face the victims of their crimes, plus he said there needed to be a holistic solution. “This means ensuring the Department of Attorney-General, Department of Child Safety, and our police service are working together with our neighbourhood centres, PCYCs, youth organisations, schools and Queensland Health to deliver the best possible outcomes for our kids, their families and the broader community,” he said.