Crims get slap on wrist
I REFER to the article page 4 (TB 10/09/20) Police will crack down on young criminals and the state’s Flying Squad will be heading to Townsville.
If the inept Palaszczuk-led government had enacted penalties and sentences commensurate with the nature of the offence and made the Youth Detention Centre a place for individuals to fear not treat as a holiday destination there would be no need to deploy the Flying Squad.
From all accounts the local police are more than capable of dealing with the criminals.
As we see time and again their effort and commitment is beyond question – what is needed is for the Government to step up and assist the police and the judiciary with meaningful penalties and sentences for offenders and some form of a deterrent to deter repeat offenders and would-be first time individuals contemplating committing crime just for the fun of it.
No doubt the so-called Flying Squad will assist with the clean-up of offences but it’s the same old story – the police hand them over to the courts and the courts let them go in compliance with the Youth Justice
Act enacted by the Annastacia Palaszczuk-led government.
Real serious offenders though do get handed custodial sentences.
They are sent to the Youth Detention Centre with its harsh rules, swimming pools, televisions, treats, guards wearing flowered coloured shirts and so on.
It is quite possible some law abiding kids on the outside would love to find themselves in the same situation.
We seem to be missing is the word deterrent.
There would appear to be very little if any deterrent value associated with the detention centre and a published cost-benefit exercise under the present regime would most probably be frightening.
DAVID THOUMINE,
Cranbrook.