Stiffer sentences only way to combat our crime wave
IN response to my letter of 31/12/21 headlined “MPS must act to curb rising wave of crime”, William of Kirwan responded in his text of
4/1/22 that he was sick of the whinging about juvenile crime and challenged me to “have a whiteboard brain storm with some credible answers”.
Well William, I am more than happy to provide the hard answers that will stop the ever growing number of juvenile scum who are holding this once great city to ransom. But be warned William, and all other like minded luvvie do gooders who don’t live in the real world, it will not be easy reading for people of your ilk.
But emboldened by the majority who do live in reality, here goes. (1) Make breach of bail an offence – bail is a luxury given to someone who has offended against society, and juvenile offenders are repeatedly treating conditions of bail as a joke. Breach bail, lose all future bail and a mandatory six months added with no parole. (2) Mandatory sentencing – breaking and entering someone’s house and stealing their motor vehicle was once treated as a serious offence, now it is treated and viewed as a daily minor offence, and this must end. First offence six months, second offence 12 months, third offence 24 months, continue doubling. And no parole – six months or 12 months means just that. (3) Where violence has been used on a victim be that during a break and enter, a street mugging, or the all too common violent crime of car jackings – double every sentence again, first offence 12 months, second offence 24 months etc. And again real time, not the Micky Mouse joke currently seen where offenders serve a tiny percentage of their sentence. (4) Change Cleveland Youth Detention Centre and all others completely. Recidivist offenders currently do not find Cleveland as a destination they hate or fear, and this must change. Yes fed properly, and protecting smaller kids from getting bashed from the bigger ones, but all the luxuries gone, more discipline, and
zero tolerance to misbehaviour and violence. Every worker is entitled to a safe workplace, and I am told youth workers who are assaulted in Cleveland by juveniles, have to attend a police station in their own time to report same if charges are to be laid.
If this is accurate, it is totally unacceptable, police have to be called automatically and charges laid. I am not a youth workers union rep, where is their union, and why haven’t they rectified this terrible situation already? Sentence – mandatory 12 months added, again real time, no parole. And the doubling principle again applies. Assaults in Cleveland would be ancient history. (5) Convictions recorded mandatory – even recidivist violent offenders are having no convictions recorded, this must stop. (6) Include bush camps
with hard work and no airconditioning as part of sentencing. (7) make reporting of crime much easier – I have unfortunately had to use Policelink three or four times in the past few years. Policelink at best can only be described as dysfunctional.
Scott Stewart, Aaron Harper and the Police Commissioner are totally aware of this when I went into great detail advising them of the problems that existed with Policelink more than two years ago at the crime rally at Jubilee Bowls Club, and was told by the Police Commissioner problems with Policelink would be addressed.
While I do hold respect for the Police Commissioner, from my experience, nothing has changed for the better.
Sadly it is painfully obvious that none of the above changes are ever going to be implemented by the Palaszczuk government, and the people of Townsville are stuck with a rapidly deteriorating juvenile crime chaos until the next state election.
No doubt this letter is going to cause much consternation for people who care more for the welfare of juvenile criminals than the victims of crime in this city. I suggest you people are part of the problem. BARRY DAVIES,
Cranbrook.
LOWER COST OF HOUSING
BY right of reply, if Barry Davies (TB 21/1) has any better ideas about how to lower the cost of housing, increase home ownership, increase business investment by diverting bank deposits away from inflated houses, raise Australian manufacturing competitiveness and stop millionaire homeowners diverting health and education funds into their pensions then I welcome his suggestions.
This is not ideological, it is your grandkids’ job when the world stops buying fossil fuel.
It is also about balancing the federal budget as the proportion of pensioners grows and house prices rise at four times interest rates. GLENN WHITE,
Kelso
MIXED MESSAGES
THE recent decision by the
United Kingdom parliament to cease mandating Covid status certification, no longer asking people to work from home, abolishing mandated mask wearing is a promising start to normality. Australia mimics what occurs overseas so well, can we expect a return to, as the UK Prime Minister calls, “Plan A”.
The Queensland Premier has been accused of mimicking other past leaders during this pandemic, will she be following the leadership shown from Britain this week?
Indeed the Premier will be confronted with a host of decisions this week.
Not the least of these is what to do with Wellcamp. The 1000 bed (500 coming on line this week) facility in the Toowoomba region, was a planned quarantine facility for international travellers, but they no longer require quarantining (according the national cabinet decision last week).
Deputy Premier Steven Miles on Thursday said the facility would be available for unvaccinated international arrivals, while they quarantined.
Strange that Australia will allow unvaccinated overseas travellers in, but not allow unvaccinated Queenslanders to visit any pub, club, theatre, sporting event, restaurant, cafe, bar or even keep a job. I don’t know about you, but I’m getting mixed messages here.
We can only hope some sanity returns soon. Adopting the United Kingdom’s approach could be a good start.
BRIAN DALEY, Cranbrook.
LEAD BY EXAMPLE
On page 6 of the Townsville Bulletin (18 Dec 2021) is a photo of Brendan Cook, general manager of Townsville Airport Ltd, in front of the departures lounge, explaining quote, “the wearing of face masks remains mandatory in airports”.
I smiled when I looked at the photo: it reminded me of the author Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale about the swindlers who convince a vain emperor that the new suit he was wearing was made of the finest cloth that only the intelligent could see. Is Brendan wearing a face mask that only he can see? Lead by example, Brendan.
NORM H CANTON,
Garbutt