Lack of action is criminal
WE are daily beset with headlines relating to the Townsville crime problem.
Scotty Stewart has written a couple of letters asserting the State Government is “serious” and “committed” to resolving this issue, although he never says anything concrete.
He probably doesn’t know anything and is getting panicky.
The looming election, sometime between now and early next year, may bring about the end of his new career as the ship of state founders on the shoals of incompetence. His two colleagues, obviously resigned to their fates, intend going down quietly.
The worst thing is that there doesn’t seem to be any hope those with the authority to do anything will bite the bullet and act.
A recent Townsville Bulletin editorial pointed out that it is a miracle someone hasn’t been killed by these maniacal juveniles and asked: “Does someone have to be killed?”
Simple answer: Yes, and sadly, probably more than one person.
Government works on a dollar value and community members aren’t worth much because there is little comeback on it if a citizen is killed or maimed by one of these bozacks. Besides, it’s cheaper leaving crims in the community in the limited control of one case officer, trying to administer more than 200 of these underdeveloped thugs.
It’s expensive locking them up, especially when they become enraged at restrictions and smash the facility.
This is the real reason for ensuring at all costs they are returned to the streets.
We have multiple committees examining the issue now and, after six months of onerous long lunches and well- catered meetings, they are united in their finding: “Youth crime is a complex matter.” Spare me days. Meanwhile, the sorry saga grinds relentlessly on: a victim attacked in the street, with her car window smashed so they could assault her and steal her vehicle; other victims seemingly targeted with their homes broken into on multiple occasions; two women murdered in their own homes; and it goes on and on.
We haven’t reached the terrifying level of youth crime witnessed in Victoria with the Apex Gang, but we are getting there. Two noidea Labor- led state governments with out of control youth crime. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
Our State Government steadfastly refuses to do anything. Among the latest inaction being to ignore the 6000 signatures of voters calling for a youth curfew. The Acting Attorney General’s excuse: “It was tried in the USA and didn’t work.” Rubbish.
A 2011 study published in The American Law and Economics Review by the University of California, Berkeley, “The Impact of Juvenile Curfew Laws on Arrests of Youth and Adults”, analysing FBI data, found among other benefits, curfews in 54 US cities resulted in a 15 per cent drop in juvenile arrests in the first year and 10 per cent thereafter.
If he was unaware of this, he is incompetent. If he did know about it, he was telling porkies.
Now wouldn’t that be unusual for a politician. Then again, maybe they just don’t care. JEFF WILLIAMS,
Condon.