Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk reveals response to youth crime crisis

Annastacia Palaszczuk has unveiled a major overhaul of youth crime laws to target 400 unstoppable criminals across the state.

Queensland will launch a major crackdown on young offenders as it’s revealed a 400-strong group of teenagers is responsible for half the state’s juvenile crime.

Justice authorities have consistently said youth crime figures are falling but they fear a small cohort has held the state’s police force under siege, with just 10 per cent of young offenders responsible for nearly 50 per cent of juvenile crimes.

The alarming statistic combined with deafening community outrage has led to Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk enlisting the state’s anti-terror boss to clamp down on the crisis gripping the Sunshine State.

Under new laws announced on Tuesday, repeat youth offenders will be slapped with GPS tracking devices and bail conditions will be toughened.

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Palaszczuk has enlisted Assistant Commissioner Cheryl Scanlon to tackle the youth crime crisis. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

The death of a pregnant couple in Brisbane on Australia Day allegedly at the hands of a teenager in a stolen car thrust youth crime concerns back into the spotlight.

And the fury in the community has continued to escalate, culminating in the death of Jennifer Board, 22, on Friday night in Townsville during an alleged wild vigilante chase of teens in a suspected stolen vehicle.

“The community expects us to do more and that is exactly what we will do,” the premier told reporters, announcing she will appoint Assistant Commissioner Cheryl Scanlon to take charge of a Youth Crime Taskforce.

“Families have been shattered and lives have been lost. And that is why today we are taking very strong action.

“They have no concept of the consequences of their actions and no fear of the law.”

Ms Scanlon, a 33-year police veteran, will set upon the 10 per cent of repeat youth offenders who police fear have zero regard for consequences as the Palaszczuk government adopts a plea from the Queensland Police Union who wanted this group of about 400 offenders slapped with GPS tracking anklets.

This measure will be implemented in a new trial and used in Morton, North Brisbane, Townsville, Logan and the Gold Coast for 16 to 17-year-olds as part of bail conditions.

The presumption of bail will also be removed for serious indictable offences such as breaking and entering, serious sexual assault and armed robbery.

“The courts will be empowered to require repeated offenders to give reasons why they should have bail instead of requiring prosecutors to prove why they should not,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“Where courts can seek assurances from them that the offender will adhere to the bail conditions or bail will not be granted.”

The breakdown of the new rules to be introduced later this month include:

• Require fitting of electronic monitoring devices (GPS Trackers): As a condition of bail for recidivist high risk offenders aged 16 and 17
  
• Create a presumption against bail: For youth offenders arrested for committing further serious indictable offences (such as breaking and entering, serious sexual assault and armed robbery) while on bail
  
• Seek assurances from parents and guardians that bail conditions will be complied with before an offender is released
  
• Strengthen existing bail laws: The Youth Justice Act will be amended to include a reference to the community being protected from recidivist youth offenders in the Charter of Youth Justice Principles
  

Jennifer Board was killed on Friday while riding her motorbike.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli applauded the premier’s appointment of Asst Comm Scanlon, who he said is ideal for the role given her experience across the state in both policing and children’s welfare.

He also said the Liberal-National Party won’t get in the way of the proposed new laws but insisted the announcement fails to deal with the “elephant in the room” facilitating youth crime activity.

“I fear that unless we restore breach of bail as an offence, our community will continue to be ripped apart,” Mr Crisafulli told reporters on Tuesday afternoon.

“There are positive changes, but at the heart of a system is one that ensures if somebody breaches responsibility there has to be repercussions and the changes that avoid the elephant in the room — which is the breach of bail — in my mind is an error and what we’ll continue to advocate for.”

Meanwhile, Greens MP Michael Berkman said the “punitive” reforms will only lead to youths being trapped in the criminal system.

“To prevent further tragedy, we need to keep kids out of the cycle of criminalisation — nothing about GPS trackers or cramming more kids into prisons and watch houses will do that,” the member for Maiwar said.

“The government seems to be taking its cues from conservative commentators and the LNP, when they should be listening to the experts in recidivism support services about what really works.

“Kids who are criminalised and locked up at a young age only learn to become ‘better criminals’.”

Originally published as Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk reveals response to youth crime crisis