Enough is Enough: Frustrated Townsville victims of crime demand accountability from Premier

Frustrated victims of youth crime in Townsville are calling on Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to do more and act quicker to fix the problem “before more people die”.

Frustrated victims of youth crime in Townsville are calling on Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to do more to fix the problem, saying “people are getting killed”.

Six months after Queensland’s five daily newspapers through our Enough is Enough campaign demanded the state track and publish the rate of youth reoffending, Indigenous young people in detention and the proportion of serious repeat offenders the data has been quietly uploaded to a government website.

Advocates and experts say real action over time on addressing these three areas would be a far more effective response to tackling youth crime than the government’s 10-point youth justice plan.

All Queensland’s daily newspapers ran the same front page co-signed by all editors calling on Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and her government to commit to measures to fix the state’s youth crime crisis.

Hundreds of frustrated residents in Townsville who aren’t happy with the state government’s latest reforms gathered at a rally in June, calling on them to do more to bring the city’s chronic youth crime problem under control.

Youth crime victim Pat Flanagan said he thought waiting six months for the data the government promised to deliver wasn’t good enough.

“I hold the Premier just as responsible as the people who took everything from me,” he said.

Heartbroken and financially destitute, Mr Flanagan said the teens who ransacked his Hermit Park unit and stole his ute on August 11 took “all he had left.”

He said youths waved a machete at him after he spotted his ute later and confronted them.

Hermit Park resident Pat Flanagan's flat was broken into and his car stolen. Picture: Shae Beplate.

He’s had to start a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for the extensive damage done to his ute.

Angry resident Richard Donnely, who’s spent almost $20,000 in two years due to relentless break ins at his properties, said the Queensland Government needed to follow through on their promises and release the data more transparently.

“It’s an absolute disgrace,” Mr Donnely said.

“It’s a fair and reasonable request to get this data (more quickly and openly) so we can see if these new youth crime reforms are working or things need to be changed.

“There needs to be accountability. People are getting killed.”

Townsville resident Richard Donnely has spent almost $20,000 in two years due to relentless break ins.

Fed up ex-cop Steven Isles, who recently confronted kids in a convoy of stolen cars destroying Currajong Park, said it was important the data was updated frequently and publicly so residents could get the true measure of what’s happening with youth crime.

“It comes back down to doing what you said,” he said.

“Stand up and be accountable and if you haven’t done that, the problem isn’t going away.

“The propensity for violence is getting worse.

“Before more people die let’s implement every tool we have, which includes you delivering your promise.”

Local Steven Isles at Currajong park where stolen cars have ripped up the grass and knocked down boundary poles. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Originally published as Enough is Enough: Frustrated Townsville victims of crime demand accountability from Premier