Youth crime Toowoomba: What city MP wants changed to tackle issue
Toowoomba MPs are receiving calls from residents who feel safe in their homes, as youth criminals cause havoc across the city. Now one of those politicians is calling for change.
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Toowoomba North MP Trevor Watts gave an impassioned speech in the Queensland parliament calling for more powers for police and the court to punish unrepentant youth offenders.
Mr Watts gave voice to hundreds of frustrated Toowoomba residents who have in the past year watched as teen thugs break into their homes, steal their vehicles and walk out of court with little to no serious punishment.
This is despite the considerable police resources deployed to arrest and charge the offenders.
“Imagine locking your house and yet being woken by someone kicking your door in,” he said.
“Imagine feeling unsafe in your own home.”
For five years Mr Watts has called on the State Government to re-induce a breach of bail as an offence under the Youth Justice Act so that magistrates can penalise teens who commit further offences while on bail or fail to comply with their bail conditions.
“It is not the solution but it would stop those individuals from victimising someone else,” he said.
“The bench book that magistrates use shows that their hands are tied.”
The offices for both Mr Watts and Toowoomba South MP David Janetzki have been inundated with calls from constituents fed up with the justice system.
They launched a parliamentary petition calling for change.
It gathered more than 1400 signatures in 24 hours.
While Mr Watts welcomed extra resources to tackling youth crime, he said more support services were needed to keep the next generation out of court.
“The whole community needs to make sure these kids grow up to realise they are part of a community, that their actions have consequences, that (recidivist) offenders are held in custody and that the police and magistrates have the laws they need to protect the community,” he said.
Youth Justice Minister Leanne Linard was contacted for comment.
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