Ballina: calls for tougher laws on youth glamorising crime at second community meeting in a month
The Northern Rivers community has become so infuriated over escalating youth crime and violence they’ve held two urgent meetings in the space of a month. Here’s what happens next.
Ballina
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More than 200 people attended the second community meeting in a month to address escalating youth crime and violence in Northern NSW on Sunday.
It comes after former police officer Andre Els organised the first community youth crime meeting in Goonellabah on March 3.
In Ballina, attendees filled the Richmond Room on Regatta Ave sharing harrowing tales of being attacked in their own homes, having their cars stolen, and property damaged or destroyed.
Education, socio-economic environment, drug dependency, and mental health issues were key points raised as part of the problem.
Youth “glamorising” their crimes via social media to elevate their status among their peers was also raised.
Many believe the laws surrounding youth crime are “too soft” and the Premier’s reforms announced last week were “not enough” to curb youth offending.
Ballina’s Detective Chief Inspector Bill McKenna APM said community forums were a good space for the community to “vent” and to hear factual information from police on what is actually occurring.
SPIKE IN YOUTH CRIME
Over the past six months Ballina has seen close to a 100 per cent increase in break in and steal offences compared to the same time period last year.
“February was our busiest month with 33 break in and steal incidents occurring and approximately 40 per cent of those happened on premises that were unlocked,” DCI McKenna said.
“15 break and enters resulted in motor vehicles being stolen.”
Ballina currently has recorded 46 stolen vehicles.
“The majority of these offences are being committed by young people who are very well known to police.”
He said the crime trend was similar across the state.
YOUTH “GLAMORISING” CRIME
“Young people are breaking into houses at night, stealing motor vehicles, and posting footage on social media,” DCI McKenna said.
“There is an element of people out there that think it’s glamorous or it’s the “in thing” to do, to go “creeping” at night and break into somebody’s house or upload footage of a police chase on Tik Tok.”
He said those not involved in that criminal enterprise and network were concerned and offended by it.
“If they commit these offences they could end up killing themselves or someone else.”
He said within the criminal element there was social status among them where if one commits a crime they became elevated among their peers.
Police are also concerned that young people were targeting particular groups, particularly the elderly, who could slip, fall, or have a heart-attack when confronting someone in their home.
“We have to be very clear that anyone who breaks into a house is committing a very serious offence and the legacy of that stays with victims for a long time,” he said.
DCI McKenna said he urged the public to contact police if they had any concerns.
“Don’t take matters into your own hands, we are trained professionals and will come and deal with the issue.”
SECURING YOUR HOME AND THE WEWATCH APP
Mr Els said he was in the process of recruiting volunteers to help the community familiarise themselves with the WeWatch app – and to get CCTV installed in as many homes as possible.
“I’ve just had CCTV security installed in my home, it was not expensive and as soon as someone walks onto my property I’m warned by a dog barking on my phone,” he said.
The WeWatch app will notify you of incidents close to you and it helps police with their reports and statistics.
“Still, lock your windows and doors, and keep your car keys hidden,” Mr Els said.
He is joined with former police detective Damian Loone and Geoff Webb who will be co-ordinating information from the WeWatch app in Goonellabah, Ballina and Lennox Head to police.
LEGISLATION NEEDS A “TOTAL OVERHAUL”
Ballina Mayor Sharon Cadwallader told the forum regional crime statistics were overrepresented and the premier’s proposed legislative changes don’t go “far enough”.
Ms Cadwallader said offenders with mental health issues could be interviewed at local police stations rather than waiting with the arresting officers up to a day to be formally assessed in a hospital.
She said the entire system needed an “total overhaul”.
Ms Cadwallader called out Ballina MP Tamara Smith on an election promise to fund CCTV for the Ballina CBD.
“We need the cameras because that’s what helps our police do their work.
“We have to keep doing more and get these alarming statistics down.”
The forum heard Ballina has had six homicides in the last seven years and is the only area which did not have CCTV cameras in its CBD.
DCI McKenna said CCTV camera footage from local businesses was crucial in solving those crimes.
In each shire where CBD CCTV cameras are installed they are managed by that council.
Ballina MP Tamara Smith has been in regular contact with police leaders and said the money is there for CBD CCTV cameras yet to move forward they need to be approved by Ballina council.
“Lismore has just introduced facial recognition cameras in their CBD - Ballina is way behind,” Ms Smith said.
Ballina Councilor Rod Bruem said the premier’s amendments to the bail act meant police, magistrates and judges would need a high degree of confidence that a young person would not commit a serious indictable offence while on bail in order to be granted bail for a current offence.
“Secondly, there is a new offence called “posting and boasting”, designed to dissuade young people from committing offences and posting them on social media,” Mr Bruem said.
DCI McKenna said although police were targeting, arresting, and bringing the right people before the courts, they’re getting bail to go out and reoffend.
YOUTH CRIME DETERRENTS
“$26.2 million has just been allocated to the current problem and I understand 50 per cent of this money has been allocated for Moree,” Mr Els said.
He said some of that money should be shared among the Northern NSW LGAs due to the same problems.
Mr Bruem said the $12.9 million allocation to Moree would go towards a new crime diversion scheme for Aboriginal youth.
Operation Regional Mongoose is currently running across the state targeting serious property-related crime committed by predominantly young offenders.
DCI McKenna said the police operation has seen additional resources of operational support staff, highway patrol, dog unit, air-wing, and extra general duties police being deployed at night across Richmond police district.
“This has resulted in a number of arrests and a number of stolen vehicles being recovered,” he said.
“We’re looking at things like your break enter and steals, steal motor vehicle, steal from motor vehicle, bail compliance checks, person and vehicle searches and move on orders.”
He said police have identified crime hotspots and general corridors offenders are using, and links between other areas and local communities to establish where offenders are coming from and returning to.
Police are liaising with parents, schools, community groups to educate youth and get them back on track.
“I think we need a whole-of-government response,” he said.
“You’ve got to remember you’re dealing with vulnerable young people that don’t have the mindset to fully understand the impact of what they’re doing.
“It might be fun to go out joy-riding but if you have an accident and kill somebody or kill yourself that’s a very, very bad consequence.”
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