Boy, 14, robbed shop after 12 hours on bail
A FOURTEEN- year- old boy held up a Condon bottle shop less than 12 hours after he was released on bail, capping off a weekend marred by youth crime.
The 14- year- old, charged with one count of armed robbery in company and enter premises with intent to commit indictable offence, had been released on bail only hours earlier. He was charged by police on Sunday and appeared in Townsville Children’s Court on Monday morning, where he was released on bail.
By 9pm on Monday the teen was involved in an armed robbery of a BWS store on High Range Drive, Condon.
During the robbery, staff were threatened with a fence paling and metal pole, a computer was smashed and the youths made off with a carton and bottle of rum.
The boy was arrested on Monday night along with a 15year- old boy and the pair faced Townsville Children’s Court yesterday where they were remanded in custody until late September.
The armed robbery followed the holdup of a Bohle service station in the early hours of Monday morning with a spanner used as thieves demanded cash.
The number of youths held in Cleveland Youth Detention Centre dropped to 66 last Thursday and had climbed back up to 77 by Monday. Teenage boys were also involved in a series of car thefts over the weekend.
A 16- year- old Vincent boy was arrested and charged after he crashed a Mitsubishi Triton stolen from Idalia on Saturday into a power pole on Dalrymple Rd, Mount Louisa.
A stolen Volkswagen Touareg rear- ended another car and then crashed near the intersection of Banfield Drive and Dalrymple Rd at Mount Louisa on Sunday night.
A group of youths were seen running from the crashed car.
A 15- year- old Cranbrook boy and 16- year- old Vincent boy were arrested and charged.
Townsville police acting Chief Superintendent Steve Munro said common sense indicated there was an effect on crime when certain repeat offenders were released.
He couldn’t speak about specific cases but said it was a “small cohort” of offenders.
“It’s disappointing when young offenders return to their criminal behaviour,” he said.
He said there were some “good success stories” in the region, but police would continue to have their work cut out for them until parents and offenders took responsibility for their behaviour.
When seven staff, from seven Queensland Government agencies, were tasked to work together full- time to help break the cycle of Townsville’s youth crime, we knew it wouldn’t be an easy assignment.
As a unique, multi- agency group, the Townsville Stronger Communities Action Group is responsible for coordinating professional services for young offenders, and those at risk of falling into crime.
Through this monthly column, we aim to update residents about our work, and that of other agencies in getting kids back on track to make the community a safer place.
The issues we encounter on a daily basis are complex and difficult.
It’s required an honest and often confronting appraisal of the underlying issues behind youth offending, many of which have been present in individual families for years, and sometimes for generations.
This includes everything from undiagnosed mental health problems through to family breakdowns, domestic violence and not being in school for many months and sometimes years. It’s also been our job and our challenge to identify the service gaps and to do everything possible to fill them.
On any given day, we are connecting teens to mental health providers, getting them back into school, finding them family support services, and linking them to programs that provide alternative and vocational education. It also means working closely with the Queensland Police Service to identify children and families of concern.
Since we came together in October 2016, it’s fair to say there have been successes as well as setbacks.
For some children, guidance and support has resulted in real and beneficial change in a short period.
For example, some have shown dramatic improvements in school attendance. This is particularly pleasing given the well- established link between youth crime and disengagement from education.
Police checks also indicate some children, who were often out in the middle of the night, were no longer out on the street in the late hours putting themselves or others in danger.
Of course, we recognise there is much more to do and that a small cohort of children continues to cause concern.
While many families have recognised their difficulties in managing the behaviour of their children, and willingly accepted offers of help, others have refused to provide consent.
We have also seen other young people refrain from offending for a period, only to fall back into crime in response to a difficult event in their lives or the negative influence of peers who have returned to town.
These cases are challenging and frustrating, both for us and the wider community.
Importantly, these cases also reflect extensive research that shows young people’s brain development can be severely disrupted if they are exposed to numerous traumas in their early lives, impacting on their choices and actions.
However, we also understand that progress does not always travel in a straight line, and that some cases require more perseverance and time than others.
Breaking the cycle was never going to be easy, but with effort and focus our experience shows it can be done.
Major- General Stuart Smith ( retired) reports directly to the office of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk about crime concerns in Townsville.
FOR SOME CHILDREN, GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT HAS RESULTED IN REAL AND BENEFICIAL CHANGES IN SHORT PERIODS.