Questions raised about youth curfews in Queensland as end of two-week curfew in Alice Springs looms
The new mayor of a Queensland town is watching closely to see how a youth curfew works in Alice Springs as a tool to curb crime. Think it could work here? HAVE YOUR SAY IN OUR POLL >>>
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The newly elected mayor of an outback Queensland town says she’ll be watching closely to see how a youth curfew works in Alice Springs as a tool to curb crime.
As the end of a two-week youth curfew in Alice Springs looms, Mount Isa leaders are keen to see whether if such restrictions can have a transformative impact on crime.
Since March 27, Alice Springs’ CBD has been off-limits to individuals under 18, a bold attempt to stem the tide of criminal activities rampant among the youth.
As the trial nears its April 10 conclusion, attention turns to the remote outback town of Mount Isa, where residents have long endured the scourge of youth-related crime, including a surge in car thefts reaching unprecedented levels.
A youth curfew is one of many measures that have been suggested to help with the crisis in the North West and in 2020, Townsville was suggested by the LNP as a trial site for a similar policy.
Previous North and Far North Queensland mayors Jenny Hill, Danielle Slade and Bob Manning also came together in a bid to push the state government for a banned drinkers register.
Peta MacRae, the newly elected mayor of Mount Isa, is keenly awaiting the data gleaned from Alice Springs’ trial.
“We are looking at all options and will be keen to see the data that comes from the trial in Alice Springs, what successes they have and any challenges associated before committing this to policy,” she said.
Her predecessor, Ms Slade, pushed for a 12-month trial of a youth curfew to be rolled out in Mount Isa before the she lost at the March election.
Queensland Premier Steven Miles recently spoke candidly about his thoughts on possibly introducing youth curfews in Queensland while on B105 FM.
“People have talked about curfews — they’re real hard to enforce,” he said.
“Like, what do you do if a kid’s got soccer training that goes past the curfew? Do you cancel that?
“So, the big issue with places like Alice Springs, though, is what they do there affects us here.
“You know, when they crackdown in Alice Springs, often people will move to Mount Isa or even to Townsville. So we do have to keep a pretty close eye.”
The state government has invested $12.67m at the Mount Isa Transitional Hub for after hours care and support to young people.
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Originally published as Questions raised about youth curfews in Queensland as end of two-week curfew in Alice Springs looms
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