David Crisafulli’s youth crime stance creates danger for LNP

Earlier this year, the Crisafulli government released a media statement claiming its tough new laws were stopping crime. But recent deadly incidents only reinforce public perceptions that crime is still a problem, writes Terry Goldsworthy. TAKE OUR POLL

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli. Picture: Brendan Radke

The jury is still out on the crime credentials of the LNP government

Youth crime has again been thrust front and centre following the killing of 57-year-old Sunshine Coast man, Zdravko Bilic, who died after being stabbed during an alleged break and enter into his home.

Two youths have been charged with his murder and now face mandatory life imprisonment under the LNP’s newly installed adult crime adult time laws if found guilty.

The alleged attack on Bilic may evoke memories of the murder of Emma Lovell, who was killed during a botched burglary in 2022. Lovell’s murder unleashed a public outcry from victims of crime in Queensland. This surge in community anger contributed to the removal of the Miles Labor government.

Community anger over the death of Emma Lovell was a factor in Labor’s defeat in the last election. Picture: Supplied

The spectre of Lovell’s murder now haunts the LNP government. Having risen to power on the back of stopping crime, Premier David Crisafulli now faces the dilemma of being caught out by his own hubris. In March this year the Crisafulli government released a media statement proudly claiming that its tough new laws were already stopping crime. Incidents such as the death of Bilic will only reinforce perceptions of the public that crime is still a problem, and that the government has not solved it almost a year into power.

The reality is that youth crime had already begun to decline under the previous Labor government in 2023/24.

In 2024/25 preliminary public data shows that the overall crime rate in Queensland has decreased by 2 per cent. The rate of property offences decreased by 7 per cent, the rate of offences against the person decreased by 0.4 per cent. The rate of other offences increased by 4 per cent. Despite this the crime rate in Queensland remains at 20-year highs.

A key plank of the government’s approach to combating crime was the Adult Crime Adult Time laws. These laws have been enacted by parliament. That the laws were rushed is a matter of fact, that many relevant crimes were not included is also a fact. The government has had to add new offences to the list on the run as crimes occurred which had not originally been included.

A new 76-bed youth detention centre has opened. It will feature state-of- the-art security management systems as well as access to education and vocational training, rehabilitation programs, health care and support services.

In addition to this the government has undertaken a tender process for grants aimed at targeting crime prevention and post-detention rehabilitation programs, both of which are crucial areas to address the multi-factorial causes of youth crime.

A review of the Queensland Police Service has now been completed. To say it was underwhelming would be an understatement. Most of the 65 recommendations were focused on HR and corporate issues.

Criminologist Dr Terry Goldsworthy. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Meaningful strategies for increasing the ability of our police to effectively fight and reduce crime were hard to find. After all, if you can reduce crime then by default you reduce the stress and fatigue our officers face in fighting such.

The government has yet to deliver on its promise to rescind the soft on drug laws introduced by Labor, when they decriminalised heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine. In the first 12 months since these laws were passed in Queensland overall drug offences have increased 1.5 per cent. There has been an 18 per cent rise in drug trafficking offences and a 20 per cent increase in supply dangerous drug offences.

The drug market is thriving in Queensland which is an attractive market for crime gangs. The government needs to act quickly on this.

Queenslanders want to see accountability and transparency from government. For this reason, the LNP needs to ensure that measures of success and criminal justice data are available in a timely manner for the public to be informed as to the performance of the government.

Backgrounding this is the problem facing Premier Crisafulli, created by his promise to reduce victim numbers or resign. He may actually reduce the crime rate, yet because of a rising population, victim numbers may increase.

The Premier has stated on the public record that any minister who does not perform will be removed. The key portfolio deliverables for the four ministers responsible for addressing crime issues are available for public scrutiny in their ministerial charter letters, so there is an ability for the public to gauge their performance.

Despite some early promising signs, the jury is still out on crime reduction in Queensland, and the clock is ticking for the government to perform.

Former detective Terry Goldsworthy is an associate professor at Bond University.

Originally published as David Crisafulli’s youth crime stance creates danger for LNP