Crime researcher pours cold water on LNP youth curfew plan

Enforcing a curfew on Townsville's young people could scatter them elsewhere rather than reduce the regional city's juvenile crime problem, a researcher says.

A report published in September on the impact of Australia's first youth curfew in the night-time precinct of Northbridge in Perth found it did not reduce crime.

Tim Nicholls announced an LNP government would introduce a youth curfew during a visit to Townsville on Thursday,Credit: Dave Hunt/AAP

Edith Cowan University youth work researcher Trudi Cooper said it was "political theatre" and police already had powers to remove people from the streets who were breaking the law.

"Curfews don't actually prevent crime, it just moves it," Dr Cooper said on Thursday.

"It didn't resolve the problem, it moved the problem and police can't be everywhere.

"Most politicians don't really think them (curfews) through."

The Northbridge curfew was introduced in 2003 and banned children under 16 from being in an inner-city area unsupervised after 10pm.

Unsupervised children under 12 were barred from the area after dark.

Those caught misbehaving or considered at risk were assessed before being taken to a safe place.

Former police commissioner Karl O'Callaghan, who served over the course of the policy, said it stopped vulnerable children from becoming engaged in a "late-night economy".

Dr O'Callaghan said youth crime was difficult to stop and there must be co- operation between police and child protection agencies for curfews to work.

"It's not good enough for police to pick them up, take them home and that's it. Otherwise, you are running a taxi service," he said.

Dr Cooper added intervention should focus on the underlying issues of the crime, such as poverty or marginalisation.

Queensland Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls on Thursday pledged to keep children under 16 off Townsville streets after 10pm as part of a six-month trial if he wins the November 25 state election.

“Over the last three years drug and violent crime has increased and youth crime is out of control in north Queensland,” Mr Nicholls said.

“Our comprehensive plan focuses on more resources, early intervention, tougher laws and making parents more accountable.

"North Queensland deserves a dedicated police helicopter as an 'eye in the sky' to crack down on local hoons and give police an advantage in the fight back against the crime epidemic."

Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath said the LNP’s curfew policy was “ill thought out” and “absolutely lazy”.

“When a young person who is not committing an offence, other than breaching curfew, is picked up at 10.30 at night, what are the consequences? He says there’ll be consequences for the parents, what are they?” she asked.

AAP with Ruth McCosker