Editorial: Toowoomba community seeking answers to youth crime problem following forum

OUR SAY: Some of the state government’s most senior officials, and the state’s top cop, arrived in Toowoomba on Wednesday night to face a frustrated community at boiling point. We need answer now more than ever, writes the editor.

In frightening and difficult times people seek solutions, plans and leadership.

On Wednesday night at the Empire Theatre’s Armitage Centre the crowd was certainly seeking that.

I don’t know how many people left that night feeling like they had found what they were looking for – I wouldn’t guess many.

But I know what Police Minister Mark Ryan, Youth Justice Minister Leanne Linard, Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll and police leadership found – a frustrated community at boiling point demanding change in whatever form that may take, as long as it leads to less violent youth crime.

Bruce Long (left) and Geoff Castle talk to Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll before the Toowoomba Community Safety Forum at Empire Theatres, Wednesday, February 15, 2023. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Since the horrific attack on Robert Brown last Monday, Toowoomba residents have not seen Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk up the range to reassure our community face-to-face that she will create the change every Queenslander is calling for.

The youth crime forum and the new Toowoomba youth justice and police program rollout announcements on Wednesday has to be the first of many interactions between our community and leadership on fixing this issue.

We were promised another forum in six months, and Ms Linard and Mr Ryan told the crowd they were open to setting targets and timelines to reverse the crisis – what they look like yet, we don’t know.

Throughout the forum I could hear different voices from the crowd of almost 300 question “where’s Palaszczuk?”, “where is the Premier” and “Why isn’t Annastacia here tonight?”

Ms Linard gave what I thought was a reasonable response, that she as the Youth Justice Minister, Mr Ryan the Police Minister and Katarina Carroll, the police commissioner along with other police leadership, were the right people to attend and listen.

I personally agree with Ms Linard from a pragmatic standpoint, but there was one comment from a woman in the crowd that stuck out among the jeers and groans.

“But she’s our leader!”

Youth Justice Minister Leanne Linard at the Toowoomba Community Safety Forum at Empire Theatres, Wednesday, February 15, 2023. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Our heartbroken and grieving community needs pragmatism and yes, that is absolutely paramount to turn the dial on Toowoomba and Queensland’s violent youth crime epidemic.

But our scared and scarred community also needs symbolism, in the form of leadership, empathy and listening from the very top of the state government, the tier of government whose responsibility this is.

I truly do commend Ms Linard, Mr Ryan and Commissioner Carroll for having the guts and the leadership to face up to an obviously frustrated, emotive and understandably vocal crowd to give their best attempts at answers and reassurances.

It was Toowoomba’s masthead The Chronicle that launched the Enough Is Enough youth crime campaign after the attack on Robert, but at that forum we saw every TV network there to broadcast to all Queenslanders.

Assistant Commissioner Charysse Pond and Police Minister Mark Ryan before the Toowoomba Community Safety Forum at Empire Theatres, Wednesday, February 15, 2023. Picture: Kevin Farmer

People are watching Ms Palaszczuk.

We will continue to join our community in demanding answers from our leaders, but we must never lose sight of ensuring those solutions are evidence-informed and based on a foundation of rehabilitation and care for what are young human beings who have emerged from mostly horrendous upbringings and circumstances.

Let’s not lose the essence of what makes Australia the lucky country with kneejerk and draconian measures no matter how frightening or difficult our plight may be.

Our city needs to see this complex and frighteningly difficult task is the top leadership’s top priority.

Now is the time for our politicians in Government and opposition to transparency set targets and timelines and join Queenslanders and say Enough Is Enough.