Time to overhaul GPS trackers for kid crims? Here’s what cops really think
A GPS tracker shake-up for teen criminals could be coming, depending on the state election. Here’s what cops on the ground really think — and if they’re worth the cost.
Police & Courts
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The LNP has hinted a major shake-up could soon be on the cards for how GPS bracelets are used to track teenage criminals on bail, not only with expanding their use but also by tightening laws around them.
There have been longstanding calls from the Queensland Police Union to broaden the use of GPS ankle bracelets to monitor repeat juvenile offenders released on bail.
In the What Cops Want series, many officers were sceptical, but most supported the idea, with some suggesting every property offender on bail should be fitted with one.
“GPS tracking could definitely help identify offenders and prosecute more efficiently. But I feel a lot of juveniles won’t care because it’s the sentencing that’s far too lenient,” one officer noted.
Others highlighted urgent flaws in the current system that needed fixing, saying that it took up to 11 hours to retrieve GPS data from England.
“The delay and 500m margin for error make it pretty useless for stopping youth crime,” one officer said.
Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said GPS trackers could be useful, but it was just one part of their broader strategy for managing bail.
Currently, only nine young offenders in Queensland are wearing the devices, spread across South Brisbane (3), North Brisbane (1), Ipswich (1), Townsville (2), and the Gold Coast (2). Since the trial began in May 2021, 58 unique offenders aged 15 and over have been fitted with GPS monitors — the equivalent of less than 17 per year on average.
Insiders at the notorious Cleveland Youth Detention Centre — where 9 out of 10 kids reoffend within 12 months of release — say GPS trackers currently do very little to deter the most serious juvenile offenders.
“Even if they get an ankle monitor fitted, it doesn’t stop them from committing crimes. They’re in and out of detention anyway, and they’re not afraid of being caught again,” one insider revealed.
“Many of the kids want to return to detention because it’s where their mates are.”
In the lead-up to the state election, Labor announced an expansion of the trial to include five more locations: South Brisbane, Ipswich, Fraser Coast, Mackay, and Rockhampton.
But LNP Leader David Crisafulli says the issue goes beyond just expanding their use, slamming the Labor’s handling of the rollout so far as a “spectacular failure.”
He says the current legislation contains major loopholes that need to be addressed.
“The issue isn’t just the expansion; the issue is the way the legislation is written, and we called it out at the time,” he said.
“The legislation was written in a way that allowed a young person not to wear a GPS tracker if they chose that it didn’t look good, as though it was a fashion accessory.”
Labor’s Youth Justice Minister Di Farmer has defended the trial and believes that GPS tracking cannot be made mandatory because it requires the young offender’s co-operation to ensure the device stays charged.
Responding to LNP criticisms, she insisted that once ordered by a court, a young person cannot opt out of wearing a monitoring device and claims the number of serious repeat offenders has dropped to around 20 per cent since last October.
“The trial has been progressively expanded to gather evidence of effectiveness and to give the courts further options to keep the community safe,” Ms Farmer said.
However, not all police officers are convinced. Former Townsville officer Brett Geiszler called the focus on GPS tracking a “waste of time and resources.”
“What’s the point of tracking these criminals? Police already know who they are and keep arresting them,” he said.
“The problem is what happens after that. We need better sentencing and mandatory rehab while they’re detained for public safety.”
Originally published as Time to overhaul GPS trackers for kid crims? Here’s what cops really think
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