Action needed
Cross section of community say youth crime must be at the top of government’s agenda
The cross section of voices on page 3 today send a clear message to the state government — youth crime is out of control and more needs to be done to address it.
With today being the final sitting day of the Regional parliament taking place in Cairns, our reporters took to the streets to ask what the public wants the state government to address.
While not surprising, most said the single biggest issue was youth crime.
It comes as victims of crime shared their stories at the
Backyard Neighborhood Crime Forum hosted by the Opposition yesterday.
The most harrowing of which was from Caroline Barnes who said she woke to two strangers in her living room last month.
She said her husband got in a scuffle with one offender while Ms Barnes barricaded her four children under five, in the bedroom and called triple-0.
At the forum, the Opposition condemned the state government justice frameworks and has declared a need for “gold standard” early intervention programs.
Leader David Crisafulli promised reform in this area if he wins the election in October 2023. But he stopped short of detailing exactly what “gold standard” programs means.
The Premier was last week quoted as saying “no-one” is going to stop youth crime.
It’s true that it is a muti-faceted issue that will not be solved overnight.
But it is also clear though that the “strongest” youth crime laws in the nation has fallen short of hitting the mark.
There must be a long-term strategy of early intervention to have an impact on addressing the issue.
We agree with Ms Barnes that the current crime crisis is a generational problem that will take time to turn around.
And there must be a clear strategy to achieve a better outcome for our communities.
The regional parliament sitting in Cairns has been welcomed, and the announcements as a result pleasing.
We hope the voices of our communities have been heard, and look forward to the better outcomes they drive as a result.