CLEAN THE EARS ON JUVENILE CRIME

FOR more than two years, the Gold Coast Bulletin has warned of the increasing anger in suburbia about the run-amok attitude of young crooks preying on homes and stealing cars.

This newspaper has listed countless examples of kid criminals taking vehicles from garages and city carparks, and going on long joyrides.

They film their thrills and post it on social media so their mates can literally enjoy the ride too.

Those who are not caught or crash then sell the luxury cars for petty cash to fuel their adolescent habits.

We have reported of repeat offender 12-year-olds who cannot see over the dock in court and punks on life support in hospital after dangerous M1 crashes in stolen cars, only to do it again days after being released.

Gold Coasters deeply appreciate the work of frontline cops who are hauling in the kindergarten crooks, but are angry with the support both they and the community is getting from the government and police hierarchy.

That frustration reached new heights when police boss Katarina Carroll told a Brisbane radio station last week that cops knew first-hand the little grubs fuelling the state’s teen crime “phenomenon”.

“Our greatest challenge is this really tough group of young people, that 10 per cent that are committing around 48 per cent of the crime,” Ms Carroll told 4BC.

“That’s about 400 youth across the state. We know these people, we interact with these people all the time. They have been the ones that have been relentlessly offending.”

Soon after Ms Carroll’s interview five teenagers were charged for a break and enter involving two stolen vehicles. They were aged 13, 14, 14, 16 and 17.

Residents cannot understand Ms Carroll’s logic. If you know the cause of the cancer, why is it being allowed to spread? Others are miffed and cannot comprehend why a police boss would openly talk about knowing the heart of the problem when, on face value, that problem is festering.

The Bulletin today reports fed-up residents are nabbing the young thieves themselves and letting them know they are not welcome.

Police have consistently, and strongly, urged residents not to take matters into their own hands. This newspaper does not condone vigilante behaviour. It only makes the situation worse and places more people at risk.

But Brisbane needs to know that residents are hurting and do not believe the fat cats are listening.

Again, we know the problem and who is causing the problem. Fix it.