Firm hand no deterrent
HWHAT’S THE APPROPRIATE RESPONSE NOW WE’RE TOLD THE CURRENT CROP OF REBEL YOUTHS NUMBERS 60?
OW’S your 2020 shaping up so far?
It’s only February, and we’ve already copped drought, a deluge and a heatwave.
Don’t forget the crime wave of plague proportions, but since nothing much has changed since the last time the weekly car theft and break-in tally hit double figures, we shouldn’t be surprised.
Remember back when we were told there were around 12 repeat offenders leading the kid crim escapades? That figure, like most government estimates, has blown out.
If you thought a dozen renegade kids was cause for concern, what’s the appropriate response now we’ve told the current crop of rebel youths numbers 60?
SIXTY.
Imagine two full classrooms of kids. Now imagine each and every one of them looking to break into your home while you sleep to take your pride and joy (if they can find the keys) for a bit of a run.
Don’t forget the man-hours required for police reports, detective work, insurance claims, replacement of keys and cars and installation of security systems; these kids are basically running a service industry.
Motivation, planning, action and delivery – what a pity these skills and attributes haven’t been harnessed in more productive ways, with the understandable calls to “lock them up” only ensuring these kids hone their criminal skills while increasing their social circle.
We are in the exact same situation we were in two years ago when high crime figures prompted the Premier’s appointment of a ‘Community Champion’ to find a solution. Extra police were finally promised that would arrive just in time for an election two years away, and now there’s been a reshuffling of the Titanic deckchairs, with Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll commissioning an Assistant Police Commissioner for both Townsville and Cairns to oversee operations in their respective regions, reversing the removal of the position back in 2013.
No disrespect to the police, who do a ridiculously challenging job under ridiculously challenging conditions; but we all know what happens once these kids get to court. Nothing.
And since incarceration isn’t a deterrent, why are we persisting with these ineffective motions?
And what’s with the PCYC? Created to engage troubled kids and teens, Police Citizen’s Youth Clubs were a chance for kids to turn their life around, but somehow the point of these services has been lost, with the Castle Hill PCYC shuttered.
An annual rent of one dollar wasn’t enough to keep this valuable community asset where it is most needed, resulting in a wall of silence on the issue and what should have been a port of call for troubled youth moving to the well-equipped North Shore.
Go figure.
So it was great to see the story on the recent graduates from Cowboys House, which offers young indigenous and Torres Strait Islanders accommodation, education and activities.
We know the big stick approach doesn’t work, so why can’t this initiative be replicated and expanded for these 60 troubled kids?
Families aren’t fulfilling their responsibilities, so perhaps our community needs to be that family.
And instead of throwing more money at what clearly isn’t working, we should try something that is.