GPS trackers and tougher bail for recidivist young offenders

Young offenders will be strapped with GPS trackers and bail laws will be tightened by the Queensland government in a crackdown on recidivist teenage criminals.

Matt Field and Kate Leadbetter.

Young offenders will be strapped with GPS trackers and bail laws will be tightened by the Queensland government in a crackdown on recidivist teenage criminals.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is expected to announce the new youth justice reforms targeting the toughest 10 per cent of repeat juvenile law-breakers, after a horror spate of deaths linked to young alleged car thieves.

Kate Leadbetter, Matt Field, and their unborn son Miles were farewelled at a private ceremony on Monday, after they were struck and killed by a car allegedly stolen by a 17-year-old on bail last month.

Meanwhile, Townsville police issued a stark warning to vigilantes that they would be investigated and charged “just like any other criminal”, following the death of 22-year-old motorcyclist Jennifer Broad on Friday night. Ms Broad was killed when a Holden Statesman allegedly driven “dangerously” by vigilantes lost control while chasing a stolen car.

Two 18-year-olds and a 17-year-old in the stolen Hyundai have been arrested, and police are investigating the actions of a 25-year-old man, a 41-year-old man, and a 22-year-old woman in the Holden.

The Australian understands Ms Palaszczuk’s cabinet on Monday discussed a “comprehensive” package of reforms to deal with the state’s youth justice dilemma, centred on the 10 per cent of recidivist offenders who commit 48 per cent of juvenile crime.

Reforms are expected to back calls from the Queensland Police Union — contained in former police commissioner Bob Atkinson’s 2018 youth justice review — to use GPS trackers for a small number of older teenage offenders to keep them out of detention.

In 2018 Mr Atkinson recommended that the government “examine the use of electronic monitoring together with community or home detention as an alternative to detention in a youth detention centre” for a small number of 16 or 17-year-old off­en­ders on remand and on sentence.

Many of Mr Atkinson’s 77 recommendations have yet to be implemented, nearly three years after the report was delivered to government.

Cabinet also discussed a tightening of bail laws to help police keep recalcitrant offenders behind bars, after Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll expressed frustration at a small minority of children who “constantly offend” and were released.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli demanded the government restore breach of bail as an offence for juveniles, but it is understood Ms Palaszczuk will not replicate the Newman Liberal National Party government’s actions on that front.

The bail changes are likely to require more input from parents, guardians and carers of the young person to be released on bail.

Currently, breach of bail is considered as an aggravating feature when some young offenders are sentenced.

Queensland Council for Civil Liberties vice-president Terry O’Gorman had warned the government against giving the “inside running” to the police or police union on any kneejerk juvenile justice reforms.

Mr O’Gorman said the landmark Fitzgerald report in 1989 warned against giving the police a “favoured role” in law reform, and said any reforms should be preceded by wide-ranging submissions considered by a retired Children’s Court judge.

The government has spent more than $500m on youth justice since it was elected, including starting to build a new 32-bed youth detention centre. In 2017, it announced 17-year-olds would be part of the youth criminal system rather than considered adults.