Scott Freeman offers to create program to help the kids who tried to steal his car

Scott Freeman was chasing down teen criminals in his undies just a few weeks ago. Now he wants to help them.

SCOTT Freeman was chasing down teen criminals in his underwear just a few weeks ago. Now he wants to help them.

The EMF gym director was asleep in his home in mid-December when he heard the teen thieves trying to open his Audi door, parked in his Mermaid Waters garage.

He jumped up out of bed, wearing only his undies, and chased down the thieves. He caught one who was later charged.

Four more in the group fled.

Scott Freeman chased down thieves in his undies … now he wants to help them. Picture: Richard Gosling

The events of that night made headlines across the country after Mr Freeman first spoke to the Bulletin. At the time he was incensed and angry about what happened.

Now he wants to help by creating a program for these types of kids.

“I’d love to because they need it,” he said.

“There is certainly a way to introduce them back into society properly. They need to come up with a program to facilitate – something where they are teaching life skills.”

Mr Freeman, who prior to founding the popular gym chain, was a trainer in the military, said he knew a lot ex-servicemen who would volunteer time to help teach a program.

He suggested the program could encompass things like basic cooking, starting the learn a trade and basic life skills.

“The key is for these kids is they are bored and there is too much social media for them to highlight themselves,” he said.

A teen was captured on CCTV in a Mermaid Waters backyard the same night Scott Freeman's home was broken into – twice.

Mr Freeman suggested teaching skills in detention centres or post-detention to help the young offenders be able to get jobs

“I’m more than happy to have some of them to work for me, to give them work and show them what society is like,” he said.

“They are 16, they can work.”

Mr Freeman said he had been closely watching the legislation proposal the state government introduced after the Christmas fatal stabbing of Brisbane mum Emma Lovell.

The changes included increasing penalties for juveniles who boast on social media, the increase in penalty for young car thieves, changes to the Youth Justice Act to take into account bail history when sentencing and $9.8 million to fast track sentencing programs so children spend more time serving their sentence.

“There is no legislation on the minimum,” Mr Freeman said.

“There’s no deterrent yet still for these people.”

A teen was captured on CCTV in a Mermaid Waters backyard the same night Scott Freeman's home was broken into – twice.

He said there should already be programs put in place to teach life skills before their release.

A spokeswoman for Youth Justice Minister Leanne Linard said all Queenslanders “deserve to be safe”.

“Young offenders must be held accountable for their actions, but they must also be given the opportunity to turn their lives around, which is why we are investing heavily in programs on the Gold Coast that provide support,” she said.

Ms Linard said the Gold Coast was one of eight locations to have a co-responder team of police and a youth justice task force, Life Without Barriers was funded to do intervention programs with young offenders on the Gold Coast, there was a multi-agency panel overseeing “intensive case management of serious repeat offenders” and another intervention targeted toward young mother vehicle thieves.

“Youth Justice case managers also use behaviour management programs to help young people on youth justice orders to reduce aggression and violence,” she said.

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