Cairns councillors reveal solutions to surging youth crime wave
Cairns councillors have offered solutions to combat an escalating wave of juvenile crime that is engulfing the Far North. What do you think is the best approach?
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Rampant juvenile offenders and theft milestones like Cairns’ four digit stolen car tally have local councillors offering solutions to combat an escalating wave of youth crime.
As Far North residents demand their elected representatives and authorities step in to solve the region’s crime onslaught, state leaders have advocated for greater council involvement in youth crime solutions at the Local Government Association Queensland Annual Conference that kicked off in Cairns on Monday.
The Cairns Post approached every councillor at Cairns Regional Council to hear their thoughts on what can be done so residents can feel safe in their own homes.
Similar questions were put to our state and federal representatives last week.
Here are the councillors’ answers.
Mayor Bob Manning OAM
Cr Bob Manning said youth crime was a problem felt right throughout the state with residents rightly concerned — and it doesn’t serve anyone “to run around plucking ideas out of the air for the sake of a sound bite”.
“It’s a complex issue that requires everyone – the State Government, police, council and other agencies – to do their part,” he said.
“We all have to lift our game, because if we don’t work together, we won’t get anywhere.
“This council is doing its part through initiatives like the Cairns Community Safety Plan, working hand-in-hand with local agencies to address anti-social behaviour in our city. It will take some time, but I believe it will have an impact.
“It’s the direction we need to head to get real change.”
Cr Brett MollerDivision 1: Stronger Deterrence
Cr Brett Moller said the sentencing principles of deterrence, retribution, denunciation, rehabilitation and protection of community in respect to juvenile crime in our city, currently have a “capital ‘F’ for fail”.
“As a consequence there is no accountability for young offenders who have no regard for their actions and the impact on victims of crime,” he said.
“The guiding principles are that the sentence must be proportionate to the gravity of the offence and the responsibility of the offender.
“However, the unacceptable increase in offending and lack of responsibility by the young offenders means we need sentencing and a juvenile detention system that is a stronger deterrent and is an environment that creates a desire to rehabilitate rather than just enjoying some time out, by these young offenders.”
Cr Rob Pyne Division 2: Empower Local Communities
Cr Rob Pyne said the Justice Reinvestment program had his full support in combating youth crime as it was a holistic way of working, informed by data and self-determined by community.
“It works to reduce contact with the criminal justice system by empowering local communities to design and implement their own strategies for addressing the underlying drivers of crime,” he said.
“Justice Reinvestment outcomes particularly focus on prevention, rehabilitation and reintegration.
“The goal of Justice Reinvestment is to shift power and decision making to communities, predominantly First Nations communities to empower them with the tools and resources they need to self-determine their own futures.”
Cr Cathy Zeiger Division 3: Break Generational Dysfunction
Cr Cathy Zeiger said she believed everyone feels for children from dysfunctional backgrounds and wants to find solutions to help them, as well as finding a synergistic way of helping their victims.
“But as we are experiencing, taking away accountability and consequences allows for negative behaviour to go on unchecked,” she said.
“We need to assist youth to learn respect, value and how to have healthy attachments and relationships.”
Cr Zeiger said long term, there were some excellent programs currently in place, such as the collective impact project Cairns South Together, which she was involved in.
“(It focuses) on impacting the first 1000 days of life and then the next period of growth at around 12 years – change will come, but this problem is generational,” she said.
“We need to make changes now to protect our community and direct these youth towards a positive future. It seems much of the current legislation around youth crime needs to be rewritten.
“Imagine the benefit to our community if well-trained mentors were assisting troubled individuals to learn the value of hard work, learning to respect others and in turn be respected.
“Sounds easy, but with the current legislation it simply isn’t happening.”
Deputy Mayor Terry James, Division 4: Tough Love
Cr Terry James said while he thinks the police do a magnificent job, “their hands are tied”.
“The Council’s CCTV network plays a major role here in assisting the police as well,” he said.
“Whilst I agree with the early intervention scenario that has been spoken about, this covers the younger children only.
“The current recidivist teenagers require ‘late intervention’, some tough love to teach them some respect not only for themselves, but for others in the society they live in. Learn to self-regulate and understand clear boundaries.
“A model similar to Geoff Guest’s Petford Youth Training Camp comes to mind … … away from the city, with limited privileges (e.g. no mobile phones, computers, etc) until a behavioural change is guaranteed.
“The State Government must act now to facilitate a change in our laws that not only assists these recidivist offenders to reform, but also protects and enhances the rights of the victims of crime.”
Cr Amy Eden Division 5: Co-ordinated Approach
Cr Amy Eden said our congested courts meant youth are detained and held on remand till sentencing which prevents them from engaging in education and life skills programs while in detention – a “missed learning opportunity”.
“Multi-government information sharing (in real time) will assist in cohesive, co-ordinated and holistic care for youth and their families,” she said.
“Transitional facilities to support transition from detention back into the community.
“Co-ordinated management and engagement of families to support.”
Cr Rhonda Coghlan Division 8: Working Together
Cr Rhonda Coghlan said all levels of government and the community needed to work together.
“We should all know our neighbours; we should check on them if something doesn’t feel right. Report when you feel it’s appropriate,” she said.
Council initiatives including the city safe program and a forum for community services, business, QPS and Council to work together were in place to combat crime, according to Ms Coghlan.
“Local government does exercise some regulatory powers, predominantly in areas such as venues, parks, gardens, parking, etc,” she said.
“As part of a functional review, we have expanded our focus on initiatives that will improve community safety through behavioural change.”
Cr Brett Olds Division 9: Three Pronged Approach
Cr Brett Olds said it’s a three pronged issue and as such requires some different thought processes and actions for each.
“Good — Prong 1: The ‘now’ problem which is the crimes currently being committed and what immediate actions need to take place or be implemented,” he said.
Cr Olds said prong one included relocation sentencing where recidivist offenders work out in country, crime victim compensation and an overhaul of the Youth Justice Act was a must.
“Better — Prong 2: Work with the parents of these (‘now problem’) youths that are committing the current crimes in a positive way,” Cr Olds said.
Programs that involve parents of young offenders and work with families long after arrests were needed, according to the Division 9 councillor.
“Best — Prong 3: Intergenerational actions, teaching parents to parent and teaching future parents how to be a decent parent,” he said.
Cr Olds said supporting families in the first three years of a child’s life, school programs and early intervention were crucial to helping reduce future youth crime.
“The truth is, all we are currently missing, is the political will to fix the problem. If our government decided it wanted this solved, it’d get done … they need to step up.”
Note: Division 6 Councillor Kristy Vallely and Division 7 Councillor Max O’Halloran were contacted for comment.
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