Approach to crime a shambles

THE youth justice system in this state is in tatters and the Queensland Government has lost all control.

In yesterday’s Bulletin, we reported that police officers were being offered “abundant overtime” to take alleged juvenile offenders on footy and fishing trips. Let’s be clear: They could arrest a kid on property charges one day, release them on bail, then take them to the park the next day.

The scheme was dreamt up as part of a $9.4 million investment from the Queensland Government to try to have fewer children remanded in custody.

But had anyone thought it through for longer than three minutes, they would have realised that using police officers as babysitters for accused criminals – not to mention the fact we are sending accused criminals on recreational activities at the taxpayers’ expense – is completely preposterous and doesn’t come close to addressing the real root of the issue. We have too many youth criminals. Early intervention and outreach programs must be strong.

Youth detention centres are bursting at the seams, with the majority of kids inside while on remand.

The courts are backlogged so cases are not heard in a timely manner. The general public does not find it appropriate that kids are kept in watch-houses or adult facilities but victims of crime don’t think it’s acceptable they are left to roam the streets awaiting the outcomes of their cases.

Quite simply, we need better early intervention programs, bigger or more detention centres and more children’s court personnel.

Police being instructed to effectively catch and release kids they charge, then take them fishing, does nothing to help the Townsville community feel safe. And seeing Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and her Police Minister Mark Ryan at odds over the police babysitters’ club epitomises this Government’s chaotic approach to an issue that’s plaguing our city, despite having two terms to come up with some sort of solution.