Electronic monitoring devices would be fitted to young crims in shake-up to bail laws

Electronic monitoring devices would be fitted to kids as young as 14 in a major shake-up of Victoria’ youth bail laws, giving courts more power to track youths charged with serious crimes.

The state government wants to allow electronic monitoring devices to be fitted to kids as young as 14 in a shake-up of youth bail laws. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette

Electronic monitoring devices would be fitted to kids as young as 14 in a major shake-up of Victoria’s youth bail laws.

Under the radical plan — which has been backed by the Police Association of Victoria — courts would be given new powers to order electronic monitoring form part of bail conditions for youths charged with serious crimes.

The devices, which can currently only be used on adults older than 18, would allow real-time monitoring of youths and immediately alert authorities to curfew and location-based breaches.

They would also send alerts to young people urging them to think twice about ignoring bail conditions.

Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes said the government would aim to legislate a trial of the plan by the middle of the year as part of a Youth Justice Bill which will also deliver the first stage of raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12.

The devices can currently only be used on adults older than 18. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette

“This trial will be an extra tool to ensure that bail conditions are followed and young people take the opportunity of bail as a chance to engage with school or a job, and get their lives back on track,” she said.

“Bail compliance is not optional and should be taken extremely seriously.

“If a person continues to abuse their bail conditions or commit further crime, it is our expectation that their bail is revoked.”

Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt applauded the plan.

“This is a sensible and pragmatic move by the government, one that reflects the gravity of the issue of youth crime and the trauma it generates within the community,” he said.

“Any measure that prevents a person from becoming a victim of crime to a recidivist offender, is one that the police association supports and one that the community will take comfort from.

“When everything else has failed, this is a way of protecting recidivist offenders from

themselves. It is a positive alternative to jail.

“It’s better to be able to look them up, than lock them up.”

Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes wants to legislate a trial of the plan by the middle of the year. Picture: David Geraghty

It comes as the Allan government tackles a worsening youth crime crisis that forced it to stall a planned weakening of youth bail laws in October.

A controversial plan to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 is also understood to be under threat.

A recent surge in youth crime and a series of horrific high-profile cases have heaped pressure on the government.

They included the alleged murder of Doncaster doctor Ashley Gordon by two teenagers, including one who was on bail at the time.

The government had been planning a raft of amendments to laws that would have made it easier for young offenders to secure bail.

They included a presumption of bail for children accused of any crime except terrorism and homicide offences.

Custody was also to be considered an option of last resort.

The electronic monitoring trial will not extend to young parolees, despite a 2018 election commitment pledge.

The Allan government is tackling a youth crime crisis.

In January the government quietly dumped the promise, insisting the measure was no longer needed because there are fewer youth offenders.

Jacinta Allan has repeatedly insisted the state’s youth crime problem revolves around a small cohort of offenders.

Latest data revealed the state’s 20 worst recidivist youth property criminals were responsible for 321 aggravated burglaries.

The worst recidivist was a 15-year-old boy who police have linked to 30 aggravated burglaries in one year.

Police say 20 teenage boys, aged 13 to 17, are responsible for 20 per cent of the 1581 total aggravated burglaries, in which a car was stolen, in the year to the end of February.

Minister for Youth Justice, Enver Erdogan, said community safety was a top priority for government.

“Whether it be in the community or in our youth justice system, young people will be held to account for their actions and encouraged towards a better future – making the community safer for everyone,” he said.