Katter’s Australian Party deputy leader Nick Dametto expresses concern on youth crime arrest stats
KAP deputy leader Nick Dametto is calling on the Crisafulli government to act on their ‘big, bold promises’ made on youth crime, citing concerns over youth crime rates despite recent arrest data being released.
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A North Queensland MP is calling on the Crisafulli government to act on their ‘big, bold promises’ made on youth crime, citing concerns over youth crime rates despite recent arrest data being released.
Since the passing of the Making Queensland Safer Laws on December 12, which the Crisafulli government said would reduce the rates of youth crime, Katter’s Australian Party deputy leader and member for Hinchinbrook Nick Dametto said that recent ram raids in Townsville have brought the youth crime crisis back into the spotlight for the start of 2025 leaving the community ‘weary of political promises’.
The first statistics under the new government, published by The Townsville Bulletin on Monday, saw Queensland Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski reveal that youth crime had not decreased since his appointment last April, saying youth criminals have become ‘more violent’ and called the behaviour of some ‘quite concerning’.
Mr Gollschweski said the full impact of the new laws would be seen if the rest of the justice system ‘did their bit’.
Mr Dametto said the community is still waiting to see improvements in youth crime and want to feel safer; see fewer offences committed and less criminals released on bail.
“Since the introduction of the ‘adult crime, adult time’ laws in December, we’re told that police have arrested 227 juveniles and charged them with 484 offences,” Mr Dametto said.
“However, even the Police Commissioner acknowledged that youth crime hasn’t decreased.
“These kids must be held to account. Arrest numbers alone aren’t enough, even under the failed Labor administration police were good at that.”
Reiterating the KAP’s call for the LNP to adopt their Relocation Sentencing plan in full, Mr Dametto said the adoption would provide immediate and long-term benefits.
He said the community wants to see strong deterrent methods put in place, saying many kids are ‘more than happy to holiday at ‘Camp Cleveland’.
“It’s not about sending them somewhere they want to go,” he said.
“It’s about breaking the cycle of crime by creating a place young offenders dread the thought of going and giving those who decide to continue to break the law a chance to rehabilitate and change their ways through hard work and discipline.
“Traditional detention centres and watch houses are regularly at, or over, capacity. The government needs to be upfront about how they plan to manage the growing number of offenders being arrested under these laws. Without a solid plan, we risk seeing the system buckle under the strain and no drop in youth crime rates.”
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