Youth crime crisis: Premier meets with Toowoomba victims

After days of requests, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has made the trip up the Toowoomba Range to visit victims of the escalating youth crime crisis, defending her apparent absence from the city as she asks to hear locals’ own accounts.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has made a long-awaited trip to Toowoomba after last week skipping a youth crime forum in the region.

Ms Palaszczuk said she had used the visit to speak with locals affected by crime – as she pointed to the suite of reforms the government introduced last week.

“Some very good ideas raised by people. We’re going to take those back as well,” she said.

“We need to offer more support. We do need to make sure we’re following up issues with people impacted by crime.”

Ms Palaszczuk insisted she had visited Toowoomba at the “first opportunity” and denied there had been any secrecy over her visit to the city.

The Premier said she wanted to hear from locals in their own words about the experiences they had endured.

“They came through very clearly about the stolen cars. And it’s a big issue,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“People can be more frank with me … in that sort of situation.”

Ms Palaszczuk meanwhile said she would be happy for Deputy Premier and Local Government Minister Steven Miles to listen to North Queensland mayors after they proposed Northern Territory-style liquor restriction for the region.

But she cast doubt over how such a proposal would work and said the mayors should explain how it would be implemented and how it would work.

She suggested the proposal may make it harder for a tradie to pick up a six-pack on the way home from work.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk meets with Toowoomba Regional Council Mayor Paul Antonio at city hall. Picture: Kevin Farmer

The Premier defended the short period of time given to the community to make submissions on her government’s new youth crime laws.

And she also defended how long it had taken for her to visit Toowoomba since her last visit.

“Queensland’s a big state,” she said. “I cannot be everywhere. That’s why we have a Cabinet.

“The last time I was here was last September.”

Her visit comes close to a month after 75-year-old Toowoomba man Robert Brown was allegedly pushed to the ground from behind by a teenager on February 6 while waiting for a taxi, falling on the road and suffering a critical head injury.

On February 13 Mr Brown died in hospital after his life support was turned off, with three teenagers, an 18-year-old and two 17-year-olds, now facing charges of murder.

The incident sparked widespread community outrage, with The Chronicle launching its Enough is Enough campaign in the wake of the alleged assault to call for youth justice reform, and for Ms Palaszczuk to visit the Garden City and hear first-hand how youth crime has impacted residents.

Toowoomba man Robert Brown, who died a week after he was allegedly set upon by four teenagers in the Toowoomba CBD on February 6. Picture: Toowoomba Photographic Society

On Friday the Premier arrived in Toowoomba to announce that high-visibility police patrols will begin across the region, and that the State Flying Squad would expand to take on youth crime hot spots.

Toowoomba will also now be part of a trial of Electronic Monitoring Devices, which will also expand to apply to young offenders 15 years and older.

“Community safety is always my government’s priority,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“We have listened to the community in Toowoomba and we are acting on your concerns.

“This week my Government introduced a comprehensive suite of reforms that target serious repeat offenders, tackle the complex causes of youth crime and invest in community safety.

“People in Toowoomba will see more police, more often, out in the streets patrolling shopping centres and other areas where people gather, and we have introduced breach of bail legislation that is real and will work.

“These reforms allow a greater response to tackling youth crime and its complex causes to help break the cycle of offending for the future, while keeping Queenslanders safe.

“I make no apology for going hard on the serious repeat offenders who cause harm in the community, because we hear you and we are taking action.”

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk meets with TRC Mayor Paul Antonio at city hall, with Bart Mellish MP, Friday, February 24, 2023. Picture: Kevin Farmer

The state government initially trialled the GPS tracking in five locations back in 2021, including Townsville, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

Juveniles must be 16, be appearing for a “prescribed indictable offence”, and previously committed a similar offence.

The court must consider whether the child understands the condition, whether they are likely to comply, and a range of other circumstances.

A suitability assessment report must be prepared prior to fitting an electronic monitor.

An independent report released in 2022 estimated between 50 to 100 young people were eligible to have an electronic monitor fitted.

But only eight children were enrolled in the year-long trial, which cost $3.8 million.

This is despite 21 juveniles being deemed as suitable for GPS monitoring.

According to the report, magistrates did not process with a monitoring condition following assessment as the offenders were refused bail, or the young people or parents often refused to comply.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk meets with TRC Mayor Paul Antonio at city hall, Friday, February 24, 2023. Picture: Kevin Farmer

The report said it “impractical” to assess the success of the program due to the low uptake numbers.

The visit comes a week after high ranking state government and police officials held a community forum in Toowoomba to address concerned residents on what was being done to stem the tide of youth crime.

Youth Justice Minister Leanne Linard and Police Minister Mark Ryan were joined by QPS Commissioner Katarina Carroll, head of the Youth Justice Taskforce Assistant Commissioner George Marchesini and Darling Downs District Superintendent Doug McDonald at Empire Theatre’s Armitage Centre on February 16.

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

At the forum it was announced the state government would launch a Youth Co-Responder Team in Toowoomba to see police partner with Youth Justice workers to patrol streets and engage with young people.

The program engaged with at-risk youth and young people on court orders at all hours of the day, with teams undertaking various activities including de-escalating and problem solving where groups congregate, transporting youth to safety, connecting with families and support agencies and exploring diversionary pathways.

The forum saw tensions reach boiling point, with the crowd of 300 people at times laughing at suggestions by Mr Ryan that most people on bail don’t reoffend, with others claiming the city was on the verge of anarchy.

Ms Palaszczuk courted controversy when just days after declining to attend the youth crime forum in person, declaring that Queensland was “a big state”, she was spotted at the Chinchilla Melon Fest.