Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill calls for harsher penalties for juvenile criminals as Di Farmer takes swipe at LNP

Townsville’s Mayor has called for a minimum 12 months’ jail for criminals as Youth Justice Minister Di Farmer pledges more money for rehabilitation programs and challenges the LNP.

Fed up Townsville mayor Jenny Hill is demanding criminals who commit a raft of offences including robbery and car theft are jailed for a minimum of 12 months “for rehabilitation programs to have some actual effect”.

It comes as Youth Justice Minister Di Farmer urges voters to trust the government to tackle the state’s youth crime issues as Townsville’s intensive rehabilitation is doubled with a $1m boost.

Ms Hill, whose city has become the hotbed of the state’s “youth crime crisis”, praised the government for taking “some initial steps” but said more must be done.

New Queensland Police crime statistics reveal a 6 per cent rise in unlawful entry in Townsville last year compared to 2022, while unlawful use of a motor vehicle offences rose 20 per cent in 12 months.

In a submission to the Youth Justice Reform Committee, Ms Hill called for the Queensland parliament to enact “mandatory minimum sentences of 12 months’ detention for a number of offences, in order for rehabilitation programs to have some actual effect”.

She said the offences which should attract the minimum one-year jail term should include unlawful use of a motor vehicle, robbery, attempted robbery, assault with intent to steal, entering a premises and committing indictable offences and unlawful entry of a vehicle for committing an indictable offence.

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Ms Hill has also backed a plan by Katter’s Australia Party for youth detention to be completed far away from the influence of “peer pressure” and done in a setting where “there are no distractions such as social media and mobile phones.

There are also calls for changes to the state government’s $10m vehicle immobiliser subsidy trial that was announced in December 2022 for Mt Isa, Cairns and Townsville.

The ongoing trial has resulted in more than 11,000 $500 vouchers for a car immobiliser being applied for, but only about 20 per cent of people progressed to installation.

LC Distributors, which distributes the CODE SAFE secondary car immobiliser, has called for the government to extend the trial to seven local government areas with high rates of car theft.

It has called for the current trial to be extended by six months beyond June 30 and made available to residents in Rockhampton, Logan, Toowoomba, Gold Coast, Mackay, Ipswich and the Fraser Coast.

New Queensland Police crime statistics reveal a 6 per cent rise in unlawful entry in Townsville last year compared to 2022, while unlawful use of a motor vehicle offences rose 20 per cent in 12 months. Picture: Alix Sweeney.

Ms Farmer’s comments follow The Courier Mail’s shock revelation on Wednesday that the state’s crime figures had soared to more than 50,000 offences each month, Ms Farmer travelled to the regional city – which has faced a spate of crime issues – to spruik the increased investment.

The further $1m would see Townsville’s intensive case management team – which works one-on-one with the most serious young offenders – rise from four to eight, with Ms Farmer saying the government would also consider expanding the services elsewhere.

“We’ve got to make sure that we get young people in the youth justice system off a destructive path, so we can stop them from hurting the community and prevent them from eventually ending up in adult prison,” she said.

“Intensive case managers help families and walk alongside young people, giving them the guidance to divert them from a life of crime.”

Youth Justice Minister Di Farmer with Acting Chief Superintendent Chris Lawson and Member for Townsville Scott Stewart at the Cleveland Bay Youth Detention Centre. Picture: Evan Morgan

But Ms Farmer said the latest Queensland Police crime statistics were “raw data” and did not reflect the positive outcomes the government’s actions on crime were delivering.

“It doesn’t show trends across a period of time and we know that where there’s been a reduction in some categories there’s been an increase in others,” she said.

“What’s important is to see the trend data.”

Ms Farmer said about 30 per cent of crime was youth crime.

Pressed on whether the Labor government could be trusted by voters to deal with fears over rising crime in Queensland – expected to be a key issue in the lead-up to the October election – Ms Farmer took a swipe at the Opposition, and leader David Crisafulli.

“What I would say about the LNP, is the people of Queensland will be choosing between the two major parties. It’s all very well to talk about these issues and to criticise them,” she said.

“But we have yet to see what the LNP is offering, so you can run as many slogans as you want but what are they actually going to do?

Youth Justice Minister Di Farmer took a swipe at Opposition Leader David Crisafulli in Townsville on Wednesday about how the LNP is tackling youth crime. Picture: Liam Kidston

“It’s impossible to actually get that out of David Crisafulli or the new shadow minister.

“So we’ll go to the election, and we will have evidence to show what we’re doing.”

She also said she had met several times with new Premier Steven Miles on the issue, which had become an area former Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk had been criticised for not tackling head-on.

“What I commit to in youth crime is to be doing things that work,” she said.

“You’ve already heard the Premier talk about the fact that he wants to see our response sped up, and I’ve already had several meetings with him about this and the further plans for this year.”

Ms Farmer also accused the LNP of “not having a good track record” on youth crime.

“In fact, they only put a couple of things in place (last time they were in office),” she said.

“They didn’t build any new youth detention centres.

“It’s time they coughed up with what they are actually going to do on that as well.”

Meanwhile, the state’s top youth crime cop Deputy Commissioner Shane Chelepy says police still have more work to do until the community feel safe in their homes.

“The police are working hard every single day of the week… and while the organisation is driven by crime statistics - it is our focus - I think the bigger thing here is about how the community feels,” Mr Chelepy said.

“While crime statistics are important, even if we had a decrease but the community still felt unsafe, I don’t see that as a success.

“I take the view that if the community are feeling unsafe in their homes, we’ve got more work to do.”

According to Queensland Police data, unlawful entry offences rose 5 per cent in 2023 to 49,904 and robbery incidents jumped 16 per cent to 3189, while the number of assault offences increased 11 per cent to 57,654.

Mr Chelepy said they also took into account population growth, cost of living pressures, and changes of reporting when determining the increase.

In the lead up to the election, Mr Chelepy said police would continue to rally for what they need.

“Crime and community safety is significant for us every year.

“The officers on the front line work very hard day in and day out.

“Whether it’s an election year or not, people deserve to feel safe in their homes.

“We will continue to shape our policy requests to the government based on what we see.”

Originally published as Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill calls for harsher penalties for juvenile criminals as Di Farmer takes swipe at LNP