‘We want these kids to be so much more’: Vigilant Security backs LNP’s crime laws
A Townsville security company is backing the LNP’s youth crime changes, saying kids today ‘aren’t scared’ of getting arrested and will benefit from new strict intervention programs.
Townsville
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The owner of a Townsville security company wants tougher intervention programs and the restoration of move-on laws as his employees grapple with youth crime.
Vigilant Security owner Tim Lindley said it’s never good when his team is required to interact with small children.
“There is nothing enjoyable about arresting a 10-year-old, none of my guys want to be in that position,” Mr Lindley said.
“We want these kids to be so much more, but what can we do? ”
On Tuesday, November 3, Mr Lindley attended the crime forum held in Townsville alongside more than 80 other community members.
“I went to say I supported the changes, because we’re seeing the same kids all the time and as security guards we know these kids by name,” he said.
“In particular I support the new diversion programs, especially ones that focus on getting the kids back into school and a structured environment.”
Vigilant Security has 10 staff members and is employed across Townsville to secure commercial properties after hours and patrol shopping centres.
“Some people will come up to our guards and ask them to walk them to their cars, because they’ve had their grocery bags ripped out of their hands by kids before,” Mr Lindley said.
Mr Lindley said it was clear to him this group of reoffending children weren’t afraid of the police.
“They aren’t worried, they aren’t scared. They don’t respect anyone and they will post their own Instagram handle on a post about stolen cars and tell you to follow them,” he said.
Mr Lindley said he was also pleased to see the Queensland Government was looking into bringing back a number of summary offences that were repealed by the Miles Government in September.
Summary offences are small illegal acts like trespassing, graffitiing and hooning which a security guard can legally remove a person from a premises for.
In September, begging and drinking in public were removed from the act as offences.
Mr Lindley says this has made it a lot harder for security guards to stay on top of juvenile offenders.
“There was one lady who was barricaded in her bedroom when some kids stole her car keys. A few days later the same kids were begging for money near an ATM near her business and she had a breakdown but we couldn’t move them on for begging because it’s not an offence anymore,” Mr Lindley said.
“They came back and carjacked her within a month of her getting a new car. That’s just one story but it’s not an unusual one.”
Intervention programs proposed in the ‘Making Queensland Safer Bill’
- $100m for early-intervention programs
- $80m for early intervention schools
- $80m for circuit breaker sentencing
- $50m and nine new ‘Regional Reset Camps’
- $175m for a 12-month ‘staying on track’ program for children released from youth detention
- In addition to the youth crime bill, the Queensland Government has also announced $383m to overhaul the residential and foster care system.
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Originally published as ‘We want these kids to be so much more’: Vigilant Security backs LNP’s crime laws
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