Analysis: Miles must balance ideology, electoral reality in community safety plan

Steven Miles will straddle a fine line when he releases the government’s community safety plan, writes state political editor Hayden Johnson.

Premier Steven Miles will straddle a fine line this week, balancing ideological values and Labor’s electoral chances, when he releases the government’s community safety plan.

Centre of the plan is speculation the government will bow to LNP pressure and remove detention as a last resort.

Such a move would smack of desperate electoral survival and draw criticism from social advocates, who are already arguing it will do little to keep the community safe.

There’s no guarantee Labor would make such a blatant capitulation to the LNP, but today’s story about children in police watch houses proves there’s no easy solution.

Through the cut and thrust of politics, Mr Miles remains an empathetic and decent person.

He was uncomfortable with the August decision to keep kids in watch houses indefinitely and, as the leader of Labor’s left faction, suffered internal push back.

Now he faces a battle to craft a tough on crime image while ensuring kids aren’t left to rot without support in places never designed for them.