Crackdown on crime fails to deter dangerous stolen car rampage
Tough new laws have done little to deter the latest spate of car thefts that have skyrocketed 200 per cent in Cairns in nine years, data reveals.
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Car stealing charges laid against Cairns criminals have skyrocketed 200 per cent in nine years, and tough new laws appear to have done little to deter the latest spate of car thefts, including a stolen Corolla whose driver tried to run down a police officer on Wednesday.
In April an average of 1.5 cars were stolen each day in Cairns, a significant reduction on the March theft rate of 2.6 cars per day when 78 cars were stolen.
But since 2020, more than 3600 vehicles have been taken unlawfully throughout the Cairns area.
Comparing 2013/14 when the Cairns region logged 510 unlawful motor vehicle use charges, 2022/23 data showed a 200 per cent increase in the number of offences.
For the second time this week, on Wednesday, the Rescue 510 helicopter was airborne chasing down a group of offenders who allegedly tried to run down an officer at a Brinsmead address in a stolen Toyota Corolla.
Tough new anti-crime measures announced by the Miles Government on Wednesday aimed at making Cairns streets safer will at last remove the “detention as a last resort” clause from the
Youth Justice Act in a reform to dovetail with extra funding for crime victim groups, new legislation making ramming emergency vehicles an offence, and a dedicated police helicopter for Cairns.
The redrafted principle reads “a child should be detained in custody, where necessary, including to ensure community safety, where other non-custodial measures of prevention and intervention would not be sufficient”.
“These changes will make it absolutely clear that community safety must be the priority for the courts,” Premier Steven Miles said.
Taylor Skinner late last year had her Mazda BT-50 carjacked on the Palmerston Highway after stopping to help a car thief involved in a high speed collision with a B-double.
Still dealing with the fall out of the traumatic incident eight months later she was not convinced reform would change the current justice system she likened to a revolving door.
“There’s not any consequences for their actions, they know they will go to juvi for a bit and get out and do the same,” she said.
“Maybe in some form (detention as a last resort) will help but we need to do something before the kids get to this stage.”
New legislation introduced last week aims to protect frontline emergency workers from increasing instances in Cairns of kids in stolen cars putting lives at risk by ramming emergency vehicles and driving at police officers.
Proven wilful damage to an emergency vehicle now carries a maximum penalty of up to seven years imprisonment.
The latest youth justice reform will be part of other law changes including expanding the electronic monitoring trial of juveniles, streamlining the transfer of 18-year-olds into adult custody, enhancing access to Childrens Court proceedings for victims, victims’ families and the media, expanding Jack’s Law, increasing the penalty for unlawful possession of a knife, strengthening weapons licensing, increasing penalties for dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death or grievous bodily harm and the prohibition of posting and boasting about certain offences on social media.
On Wednesday, four people were taken into custody just before 1pm after a Range Rover Evoque stolen from Ivorywood Close in Mount Sheridan crashed on Lyons St.
The silver Toyota Corolla stolen from an Edmonton address on Wednesday morning is yet to be recovered by police.
Its understood a Polair helicopter will be operational in the skies above Cairns from Thursday to Sunday to track the movement of stolen cars.
Originally published as Crackdown on crime fails to deter dangerous stolen car rampage
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