Youth crime Qld: Cops urged to keep kids out of watch-houses

As new youth crime laws threaten even greater overcrowding in watch-houses, police have been urged to exercise discretion.

Queensland Council of Social Service CEO Aimee McVeigh at Cairns watch-house

Police should be given more discretion to keep children out of watch-houses, as tough new crime laws threaten greater overcrowding in the “unbelievably inappropriate” facilities, a peak social group says.

Queensland Police Service is reviewing how its watch-houses operate and staff are trained amid systemic issues and occupancy by an increasing number of children.

Queensland Council of Social Service CEO Aimee McVeigh called for the review to determine whether police were using discretion in relation to children who are not committing serious crimes.

“There are opportunities for the review to influence the approach and discretion that QPS officers use when interacting with young people in the community,” she said.

“This includes taking action to reduce the distressing rates of arrests of young people by prioritising the use of diversionary measures and referrals to community organisations as alternatives to incarceration.

“Police should also seek to limit their interaction with children altogether in circumstances where community service providers are able to engage with children more therapeutically, more productively and in a more culturally safe way.”

Ms McVeigh said it would have an immediate effect amid an explicit acknowledgment the government’s Making Queensland Safer laws would increase the number of children in detention.

Accommodation cells in the boys’ unit at the Cairns watch-house. Picture: Queensland Ombudsman

She noted many kids locked up in watch-houses eventually left the Children’s Court without a conviction.

“It would be really important to look at how many of these children who are being detained for weeks end up with no conviction against them and are released back into the community,” she said.

Children’s Court of Queensland president Deborah Richards said the youth justice system continued to struggle accommodating the number of children in detention.

“It is inevitable in a state the size of Queensland that there will be times when it is necessary for a young person to spend a night in a watch-house,” she said.

“However, the length of time spent in watch-houses for some young people in this state is significant.

“In the last year 447 young people spent more than a week in a watch-house and another 259 spent more than two weeks in a watch-house.

“Watch-houses are not meant for, or equipped to, hold prisoners for extended periods.

“They are not appropriate places for children to be housed.”

Ms Richards, in her annual report, noted a small, core group of young offenders caused deep concern to the community and negatively impacted on feelings of safety and wellbeing.

The reintroduction of breach of bail as an offence drove an increase in the number of finalised charges against child defendants from 43,033 in 2022-23 to 49,612 last financial year.

There were 6697 breach of bail convictions compared with 938 the year before.

Originally published as Youth crime Qld: Cops urged to keep kids out of watch-houses