Weak policies just not curbing crime

I REFER to the story “Flying Squad Returns to try to restore law” (TB Friday 10/9).

This is where the government and police are failing to stop this vicious crime epidemic in Townsville.

This should read, “Flying squad returns to and will completely get rid of crime once and for all,” (not try). But how many times have we heard the same old stuff over and over and over again. They, the flying squad, we are told, is returning for the third time this year? Once or the first time should be enough not three times.

Craig Scanlon, we noticed you on TV warning the thugs that police are coming to get you. They were your words Craig, so may we ask, did you get them and have the culprits been put away by the courts to stop them offending again? No, of course not.

Craig there are absolutely no excuses in any way for allowing thugs and criminals to run our town – to ram and throw rocks at police cars, to put fear into residents every day. Many people are too scared to drive at night. Little old ladies are worried about going shopping.

Now we also have violent carjacking. It is great fun and excitement for these little feral scum plus the added fact that they are laughing at the police. And please believe us, if the average bloke was there they would be scared and dealt with on the spot. But no fun at all for the good people.

Honestly, when are the top brass police going to say enough is enough we will not take this rubbish anymore, we are absolutely sick of being punching bags. Plus the general public are sick to the stomach having to take it every day, the police must confront this very weak-on-crime government, and be forceful, no mucking around. We continually hear from the police and others that you want to steer kids away from crime. Well Craig, it is not working. Never has and never will.

Please think about it, so a very easy and simple way that will stop the majority of crime (not all) is to put every known criminal, offender, repeat offender, the hard core offenders, that dear Aaron keeps harping on, plus anyone that supports them, away from law abiding citizens that do not commit crimes.

When in confinement the culprits can then receive all the measures needed to make them upright citizens. They will also be well fed and appreciate being well treated and with good operators showing them the way it will make so much difference to our city.

And please remember that great saying, where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Yes, I know, all this has been said many times before so hopefully one day it might sink in. MICK WARREN,

Townsville.

CORAL, COAL DO NOT MIX

LIKE water and oil, coral and coal do not mix.

Yet many people, particularly politicians, claim otherwise. These are the same politicians that support the expansion of the coal industry while claiming that they care about the future of the Great Barrier Reef and the $6.4bn tourism industry the Reef supports. Just does not compute.

Case in point – the proposal for a new coal-fired power station for Collinsville. A few politicians (fortunately, a very few) are touting this project as necessary for regional jobs and cheap energy when, in fact, it will produce very few jobs and actually push energy prices up. As well, it will require taxpayer support just to get off the ground because no private investor will touch it.

More to the point, many of these coal-fired power station supporters don’t seem to understand the connection between burning coal, global warming and mass coral bleaching. Can they be that ignorant? Probably not. Perhaps, despite their rhetoric, they really don’t care about the future of the Great Barrier Reef.

The writing is on the wall. We phase out coal over the next decade or we phase out the Great Barrier Reef. This is not rhetoric. This is science and one’s political ideology will not change it.

Our politicians cannot have it both ways. They either support the Reef or they support an industry that will, in time, destroy the Reef. Think about that at the next election.

TONY FONTES, Jubilee Pocket.

POLITICIANS LAZY

WHEN is a federal or state member of parliament not your representative. Answer: When you get an automatic reply to your email and, they don’t bother to answer your questions. I could name a few, but I won’t as you all know who they are. All, or most of them, sit in parliament and hurling abuse at each other, feel comfortable in their soft chairs, fighting sleep and, getting rich without doing very much. WERNER SCHMIDLIN,

Yorkeys Knob.