Youth crime Qld: Arrest and charge details released for three weeks since tough new laws introduced

The first arrest statistics since the LNP Government’s flagship Making Queensland Safer Laws were introduced have been revealed, along with a stark warning from the state’s Police Commissioner.

• ‘War zones’: Qld’s youth crime hotspots

A staggering 227 juveniles have been arrested and charged with 484 offences since the government’s youth crime laws were introduced three weeks ago, the Police Commissioner has revealed, with young criminals becoming more violent and brazen.

Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said youth crime had not decreased since his appointment last April.

“The behaviour of some people has become quite concerning,” he said.

“What we’ve seen in recent times, is more violent ... and groups of kids repeating more violent offences more often.”

The Making Queensland Safer Laws were passed in parliament on December 12, removing detention as a last resort four young offenders and allowing their full criminal history to follow them into adulthood.

The laws also introduced “adult crime adult time”, increasing minimum sentences to 13 offences including murder, manslaughter, serious assault, break-ins and dangerous operation of a vehicle.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli introduced the new youth crime laws three weeks ago. Picture: Supplied

Commissioner Gollschewski said the full impact of the new legislation would be seen soon, if the rest of the justice system “did their bit”.

“I can tell you that since they came in, we’ve arrested 430 adults on 758 charges and 227 young people on 484 charges,” he said.

“So we’re very active in that space, and we’re confident if we keep that up, and the rest of the system does its bit, including the courts, that we’ll see a change.

“That’s all we’re focused on.”

Opposition spokeswoman for the Department of Treasury Shannon Fentiman said the high number of arrests since December 12 pointed to “more youth crime” under the new LNP government.

She called for Premier David Crisafulli to consider sacking Police Minister Dan Purdie.

“Is he going to sack his Police Minister? Because he said he would sack ministers that didn’t perform,” she said.

“He made a huge song and dance about having KPIs to ministers and underperforming ministers getting sacked.

“His own Police Minister makes a statement that says crime will be down and it’s not.”

Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said youth crime had not decreased since his appointment last April. File picture: Queensland Police

It comes as the government announced it would continue funding the Youth Crime Taskforce, dedicating 16 full time staff and $15.4m over four years.

Premier David Crisafulli said the taskforce would be permanent.

“What this does today is not only lock it in for next year, but it locks it in for every year, forever,” he said.

The Opposition has argued the taskforce had already been made permanent with ongoing funding under the police budget.

Ms Fentiman said the Premier should “stop taking credit for the things that Labor has already done.”

“We had funded this permanently and made the task force permanent, so I don’t know why David Crisafulli thinks he’s now suddenly, somehow come to the rescue,” she said.

Commissioner Gollschewski said the ongoing funding for the Youth Crime Taskforce would give police the “ability to really focus our effort into the community”.

“It also allows us to backfill those positions that people have been accommodating to and make sure that our focus in other areas, such as broader crime, road safety, domestic and family violence, isn’t denuded because of the effort that we’re having to put into youth crime,” he said.

There are 754 police recruits in training and another 2,256 applications to join Queensland’s police force.

Originally published as Youth crime Qld: Arrest and charge details released for three weeks since tough new laws introduced