JUDGES MUST TOUGHEN UP
A SAFE community cannot be taken for granted.
It is the rule of law and the willingness of a community to enforce that system, that separates civilisation from anarchy.
That’s why any measure that increases the visibility of law enforcement works to reduce the level of crime.
Humans – even criminals – will weigh the odds of what they can get away with.
The destructive rampage that frightened people across the Gold Coast at the weekend – and which appeared to have continued on the Tweed yesterday afternoon – is an indicator that those responsible perhaps believed the outcome if they were caught would not be so dire.
We need to show them – and others thinking of copying their vile behaviour – that they are wrong.
Swift and tough justice is the only course of action in the face of such a wave of wanton destruction.
Police say five juveniles were responsible for smashing 12 cars, stealing at least two of them, and stabbing one man brave enough to confront them.
Thankfully his physical injuries were not severe.
At the time of printing, three of the alleged culprits were in custody and were awaiting questioning by police.
We must afford these youths the presumption of innocence, a right granted to them under our rule of law.
But more generally, our law and order must deal decisively with acts of wilful destruction and violence.
There is ample evidence that when they are less than decisive, the results are disastrous.
Melbourne is a case in point. There, under instruction from PC politicians, police have been timid in their approach to violent gangs.
The entirely unsurprising outcome is more violence by youths emboldened by the knowledge they will be confronted by a wet lettuce, with police ordered not to arrest the delicate snowflakes unless it’s a last resort.
The problem in Queensland is not so much the reluctance of police to apprehend these thugs, it is the refusal of our judges to mete out appropriate sentences.
Often, juvenile crims here are shown a revolving door, into court and back onto the street the same day, only to repeat the process not too long after.
Of course jail should be the last resort but repeat offenders are afforded the same weak response.
Those recidivists must be incarcerated for the public’s safety and to prevent them from dragging borderline offenders into their web.
Law and order is a balancing act between mercy, justice and the welfare of citizens.
There also has to be a large element of enforcement, both at police level and in the courts.
It appears the scales have weighed too far in favour of perpetrators.
The causes of offending are often blamed on substance abuse and/or a tumultuous childhood, but the question most right-thinking people ask is: “Why must unfortunate life circumstance manifest itself in crime?”