Laura Gerber and Nigel Dalton meet with Kitten Vintage owner Deb Clark in Mackay to talk youth crime

As the LNP campaigns for ‘adult crimes, adult times’ one business owner laments the break-ins she’s been a victim of and wonders why youth criminals don’t simply get a job.

Deb Clark has had to invest in insurance and cctv cameras as a result of multiple break-ins. Photo: Fergus Gregg

As the LNP shift the focus of their campaign to harsher sentencing for youth criminals, Nigel Dalton and shadow minister for youth justice Laura Gerber visited a Mackay business to discuss the issue from a victim's perspective.

Kitten Vintage owner Deb Clark has suffered multiple break ins in the eight years she’s owned her business, with the most recent occurring just weeks ago.

“There is no deterrent,” Mrs Clark said.

Mrs Clark said that during the first break-in two 17 year olds let themselves into the store, helped themselves to food from the fridge before stealing all of the shops jewellery.

“They knew where they were going,” she said.

“We’re broken into every two years pretty much on the dot.”

Shadow minister for Youth Justice Laura Gerber and LNP Candidate for Mackay Nigel Dalton met with Mrs Clark to discuss her recent break in. Photo: Fergus Gregg

Mrs Gerber called Labor’s early intervention programs a stab in the dark in response to the latest estimates that 55 per cent of all youth crimes were committed by repeat offenders.

“One in five of those serious repeat offenders are not getting any rehabilitation or intervention while in detention,” Mrs Gerber said.
“That will change.”

Mrs Gerber touted the LNPs ‘Stay on Track’ program, which will allocate $175 million to non-government organisations and not-for-profits who work in rehabilitation with youth offenders as a focal point in their plan to prevent re-offence.

“There’s a 72 hour plan in place … that’s it 72 hour to support them back into their community,” she said.
“Our program will provide those with 12 months of intensive support provided by a community NGO that has formed the relationship with the child in detention.
“It's a game changer.”

LNP candidate for Mackay and former Mackay-Whitsundays district police officer Nigel Dalton said it was very sad to watch young people go through the cycle of violence without support.

“What we want to do is make sure that the support is there for them to keep on the straight and narrow,” Mr Dalton said.

“Then they will be able to work as part of the community in shops or in the voluntary sector … there’s plenty of apprenticeships available in Mackay, there’s plenty of jobs.”

When asked if the LNP intended to provide funding to small businesses to incentivise the hiring of former youth criminals he said he was not aware of any such plan.

“It’s really important that we look at the biggest stakeholder in our community, which is the community who are victims of crime regularly and they are telling us that they

need to see change in sentencing,” he said.

Deb's shop Kitten Vintage is located at 78 Harbour Rd. Photo: Fergus Gregg

Mrs Clark feels heartbroken from the crimes she’s been victim to.

“Maybe they can come here and work for a day, work for the people they’ve offended and realise that it’s a hard job,” she said.

“If you’ve got the guts to go out in the middle of the rain on a bicycle and break in somewhere, you’ve got the guts to get a job.

“Go work at a McDonalds or come here and I’ll give you a job.”

YIRS One Stop Youth Shop Dee Chapman works to provide support to at-risk youth. Picture: Heidi Petith

Dee Chapman at the Youth Information Referral Service, an NGO currently receiving support from the state government, believes that the ‘Stay on Track’ program is a “fantastic idea”.

“There’s not enough support for youth when they’re reintegrated to the community,” Mrs Chapman said.

“If you can build the rapport with them before they come back you can provide them with services and support so they can become a more productive citizen.”

Mrs Chapman believes that family breakdowns related to the rising cost-of-living could lead to homelessness, substance abuse and further instances of youth crime.

“We as adults need to be supportive of our youth,” she said.

“It's about empowering them because they are our future.”