Crime crisis needs an immediate fix
CRIME, especially juvenile crime, in Townsville is such that the lives of the public and police officers are at risk.
New industrial manslaughter legislation was introduced in 2017. These laws hold employers, including public company CEOS and executives, liable for charges of Criminal Negligence Causing Death. Under these laws there is no defence of ‘accident’ or ‘unintended act’. The maximum penalty is 20 years imprisonment.
To be convicted of workplace manslaughter, it must be proven that the charged person was ‘negligent’ and the death was ‘reasonably foreseeable’.
Should not the same criteria be expanded to apply to politicians (the premier and ministers) when their total disregard for the safety of people and police will foreseeable result in death?
The police are employees of the government. Although we, the constituents, are not ‘employees’, the government owes us a constitutional ‘Duty of Care’.
Since 2016 the government has run Road Safety Campaigns based on ‘Every K over is a Killer’. The message is simple. Contrast that to criminals driving stolen cars at excessive speeds through our streets for hours, driving on the wrong side of the road, running
red lights and ignoring every road rule. The risks of injury and death are foreseeable and real. The risks are magnified when the drivers are juveniles. Juveniles, with histories of stealing cars, driving dangerously, and committing violent car-jackings, are repeatedly released back into the community.
After six years of failure, this is not a simple matter to resolve. However, the government must stop making excuses and engage in finding solutions. What is the government’s current strategy – no pursuit, no engagement, leave them drive rampant in the streets?
Juveniles in stolen cars are ramming and throwing bricks through windscreens of police vehicles. It appears the police have been instructed not to engage and to stay clear of juveniles in stolen cars. Such policies are the essence of negligence that will result in deaths. This government’s ideology is the protection of the juvenile criminals. The public and police can take their chances.
The resolution starts with holding the juveniles to account and repeat offenders being convicted and remaining in spartan detention for long periods.
The juveniles now act with impunity and bravado knowing that the police will not engage; that the police will withdraw and
leave them to drive as they wish. The juveniles are now attacking the police. The police must be authorised to use substantial force, and, in need, deadly force when they can reasonably deem that the drivers of the stolen cars are putting the lives of police and the public in real danger. These are not easy decisions, nor ones to be taken indifferently. However, send the message that the police will use force and the juveniles will change their behaviour.
Years of excuses, denials and inaction (negligence) have created this toxic problem. If the Youth Justice Act is not changed, and premier, if you do not change your ideology, there will be foreseeable, more deaths. You personally may not be convicted of criminal negligence causing death, but you will be morally guilty.
BARRY LOWE,
Kirwan
COVID MENTAL BURDEN
So according to former Labor minister Stephen Conroy, the Covid-19 pandemic is “not the sole cause” of Australia’s mental health crisis (TB 07/10/2021). This is an outrageous statement that undermines the seriousness of the pandemic and its impact on young Australians. While lockdown and isolation has been key to
eliminating and reducing the spread of the virus, it is essential to take into consideration how these actions have affected the youth as a current and significant factor. If anyone has been keeping up with the mental health statistics, then you would realise how much of a struggle it has become. Young people have increasingly experienced a rise in psychological distress and loneliness, and ages 18 – 24 have the highest rate at 56.2 per cent, of experiencing heightened symptoms of anxiety and depression during Covid-19. Now I could go on and on about how 38.3 per cent of adolescents said they’re mental wellbeing got worse and continue revealing statistics in this letter, but the main point is that Covid-19 is not going away anytime soon and we must acknowledge its impact on mental health, particularly for young Australians. It is imperative that strategies and coping mechanisms specifically towards taking care of wellbeing during a
WORLDWIDE pandemic are openly discussed and more effectively resourced. If we don’t then, people will continue to suffer, impacting society in more serious ways than just rising statistics.
ABIGAIL LANGRIDGE, Kelso
Deputy Premier Steven Miles is playing political games rejecting federal funding for Townsville. Mr Miles needs to explain, given GST is 10 per cent, how he calculates that of 12 million of federal money for Lansdown, the feds claw back 9.6 million. That’s equivalent to 80 per cent, not 10 per cent. Townsville deserves better than this political rubbish. PEDRO CRANBROOK
You’ve got to laugh at the way the right wingers have no problem accepting that the character of Superman is an alien who can fly, shoot laser beams from his eyes and turn back time, but accept that the writers decided to give him a bisexual son? Nope, that’s a bridge too far!
JACK ADALE
The community wants to leave it to the police but it seems unless a police car is pinched the cops aren’t able to do anything. DM HEATLEY.
Patricia 4812 and Eloise Belgian Gardens 4810 - of course those with legitimate medical reasons shouldn’t be required to get vaccinated or ostracised. That’s the reason for exemption certificates, which you’re both clearly eligible for as you’re following professional advice.
STEVE, BELGIAN GARDENS
Good for you Patricia 4812. I’m fully vaccinated my choice and accept we still have a way to go to achieve complete immunity, unfortunately we live in a society where some regard themselves as self-ordained pillars of the community and know what’s good for everyone. Bigotry has no place under our flag, if others want to run the gauntlet it’s their choice and only theirs. We already have unelected leaders mandating terms for police officers and a union, maybe these dictators would prefer to fly that red flag with big yellow
star and four little ones. CARL FRIES, PIMLICO.
GF Annandale, the Cowboys are slow in the player market because they have kept most of the 2021 team. The fact that Coen Hess was Cowboy of the Year says it all. While other teams at the bottom end of the ladder are cleaning out their underperforming players the Cowboys brains trust wants to give theirs another go. After 4 years of failure - 13th, 13th, 14th, 15th - the fans deserve a LOT better. DK 4810.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over for the same result. I don’t condone vigilantes but the people of Townsville are getting sick and tired of being backed into a corner and have had enough. How many more years have they got to put up with this. Change the laws.
Patricia & Eloise TB 13/10: Stay unvaccinated if that’s your choice. My concern is for the under 12s who do NOT have a choice. They are reliant upon caring adults to raise vaccination levels. Please people get vaccinated. W NW
Eloise Belgian Gardens. Risk of myocarditis is at least 5 times greater WHEN you catch Covid compared to the risk from the Pfizer vax. It’s not difficult maths to comprehend. DJ PALLARENDA
In regard to the vax you are in your rights to have the needle or not but you will be 1st to run to the hospital to get on a ventilator and put other people at risk MIKE MT LOUISA