Voice for Victims meet with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to discuss youth crime in Toowoomba
Victims of Queensland’s escalating youth crime crisis have private meeting with the Premier and put forward their case for action.
Toowoomba
Don't miss out on the headlines from Toowoomba. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Voice for Victims founder Ken Cunliffe is hoping the firm message he conveyed during a private meeting with the Queensland Premier will lead to the scales tipping in favour of victims as the state grapples with an escalation in youth crime.
Mr Cunliffe said he received word on Thursday afternoon that a representative from Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s office wanted to meet with his group.
The request came about a fortnight after 75-year-old Toowoomba man Robert Brown died from injuries he received in an assault outside Grand Central Shopping Centre.
That attack sent shockwaves through the community and led to furious calls for the premier to visit Toowoomba and take action.
It wasn’t until Friday morning that the group was told they were meeting with the Premier.
Mr Cunliffe said the meeting was productive, despite the short notice.
“We got 20 minutes of her time and then she left us in the hands of one of the directors of her office who spent the better part of two hours talking to us,” he said.
“When I say talking to us what I really mean is listening.”
The group presented their case for greater inclusion of victims’ voice in the justice process and for compensation and support to help with the ongoing trauma inflicted during a home invasion.
They also want burglary and other home invasion-type of offences to be treated with the same severity as violent offences.
“The Premier heard us loud and clear,” Mr Cunliffe said.
“One thing I am hoping to achieve is to get a commitment from both sides of politics to stop using youth crime as an election platform.
“For too long it has been kicked around as political football and we are not getting anywhere.
“Obviously it was very sad that it had to culminate in the death of Robert Brown before any real action was taken.”
While in Toowoomba the Premier announced a suite of proposals including an expansion trial for GPS tracker to be used on young offenders in the Darling Downs.
Ms Palaszczuk said the meetings were “very moving”.
“I really heard their heartfelt views from victims of crime, there are people who have gone through experiences that no one would like to go through,” she said.
“It was definitely worthwhile, people can be open with me, more frank and more honest in private.”
When asked about Robert Brown’s death, Ms Palaszczuk said the announcement would have been made regardless of the tragedy.
“What we have seen is an escalation and that is why this suite of measures are giving more money to police to be able to do their job, people want to see police more in their community,” she said.
The Polair chopper is likely to be in the Toowoomba more frequently with the State Flying Squad set to be expanded and given a youth justice focus.
Friday’s announcement came after the state government said it would bring its Youth Co-Responder Teams to Toowoomba.
This program pairs police with Youth Justice case workers who will patrol hot spots and engage with at-risk teens.
More Coverage
Originally published as Voice for Victims meet with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to discuss youth crime in Toowoomba
The community that career police officer will never forget
Assistant Commissioner Ben Marcus will retire from the Queensland Police Service on Friday – and it’s the people of Grantham who will remain in this thoughts.
Your ultimate guide to every gun club in Queensland
A new public shooting gallery catering to unlicensed shooters as young as 11 has opened as firearm sports experience a surge in popularity. See our exclusive list of all gun clubs in Queensland.