‘Becoming famous’: Reformed car thief tells why kids turn to crime
A dire but accurate prediction, about skyrocketing property crime, has been followed by a warning against feeding egos of juvenile crims by making them “famous” in the media.
Cairns
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A DIRE but accurate prediction by a reformed teen car thief, about skyrocketing property crime in the wake of Bradley Smith’s death, has been followed by a warning against feeding egos of juvenile crims by making them “famous” in the media.
On February 14, 14-year-old Bradley Smith was killed while riding in an allegedly stolen car on Pease St, Manoora.
He was an orphan living within the residential care home system at the time of his death.
Five other teens were injured in the crash that shone a light on the failing child protection sector and kicked off a vehicle theft crime wave.
Now an upstanding citizen, Rob Salafia spent time in one of New South Wales’ most notorious facilities for children with behavioural disorders – Kendall Grange, which closed in 2000.
Mr Salafia said lingering impacts of institutionalised alcoholism before the introduction of Cape York alcohol management plan, that began in 2002, was still being felt and disempowerment of parents and foster carers had contributed to a generation of youth with no regard for the law.
“It’s going to take two or three generations to get out of the drinking problem,” he said.
In March a staggering 162 vehicles were stolen in a crime wave that’s had police struggling to rein in.
And during the first three days of May in Cairns a vehicle was stolen (on average) every 3.1 hours after juvenile offenders went on a rampage to steal 23 cars in three days including six vehicles stolen from Network Car & Truck Rentals in Westcourt.
To date 503 cars have been stolen this year after a slow down in May vehicle theft which totalled 41 on Friday.
“Its systemic and it’s going to keep happening for a long time,” he said.
“If you put 10 kids together they are going to find trouble.”
Amid diminishing respect for indigenous elders was the adoption of a care model that thwarted parents and foster carers being in efforts to discipline kids in their care.
“They can’t play an active role anymore,” Mr Salafia said.
He added the high cost of sports participation, fewer police liaison officers and PCYC membership as another block to positively redirecting troubled youth.
“If you link them up with a boxing program it costs $20 a session and even to go play rugby league it costs $400 per year and parents can’t afford it,” he said.
“I remember we got picked up as nine-year-old kids by a police liaison officer and got taken back home.
“All of a sudden you are not running because it’s your uncle or someone you know.”
Now a successful businessman, Mr Salafia said he understood the media were obliged to report on crime which had a massive knock on impact for the community, but he urged an awareness of the fact that youth criminals were watching.
“There is that much in the media that they are becoming famous for it,” he said.
“These guys relish being in the media.”
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Originally published as ‘Becoming famous’: Reformed car thief tells why kids turn to crime
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