Emergency meetings leave Victorian youth crime spike response in limbo
The Victorian government is scrambling to address the youth crime crisis as community anger over lenient bail laws reaches a boiling point.
Jacinta Allan has flagged it will take several weeks for her government to respond to Victoria’s youth crime crisis, despite mounting public pressure to take action.
The Victorian Premier sent key ministers to an emergency meeting this week to address the state’s rise in crime, which has sparked widespread community anger over current bail laws and lawlessness. Ms Allan said she accepts reforms were needed but wouldn’t “speculate” on what additional measures were on the table to combat youth crime.
Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes and Police Minister Anthony Carbines met behind closed doors with Victoria Police, legal experts and youth justice workers to address the issue.
Ms Allan said the ministers’ meetings were a precursor to another next week with the same representatives that she will lead.
“The meetings next week will be guided by the discussions this week,” she said.
Ms Allan said a stand-alone youth justice bill before state parliament gave the government a vehicle to take additional steps. “We know we need to take further steps, we know we need to take further action, and that will come as a consequence of the meetings this week and next.”
The public outcry grew after bail granted to a teen accused of killing another driver in a high-speed crash. A 17-year-old private school boy was freed on bail after being charged over a crash in Melbourne’s east on July 2 that killed trainee doctor William Taylor, 28.
The teen’s bail was revoked on Wednesday after his mother notified police that he had not been home since Sunday afternoon.
Opposition legal affairs spokesman Michael O’Brien called on the government to immediately reinstate the Bail Act offences, which were weakened in March. They include “committing indictable offences while on bail” (former section 30B) and “contravene bail condition”.
Advocacy groups have campaigned for community action to cut crime, but say locking up troublesome teens was not necessarily the solution to Victoria’s youth crime crisis.
Centre for Multicultural Youth director Carmel Guerra said notoriety, financial gains and social media were key drivers for young offenders.
A new campaign launched on Tuesday, “Share If You Care”, urges young Victorians to anonymously dob in friends who commit crimes.
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