Youth crime Launceston: Coffee Republic’s Robin Smith coward punched amid string of incidents
A Tasmanian CBD has been rocked by a spate of violent youth offending, with one victim business owner taking the extraordinary step of forking out thousands for security protection.
Police & Courts
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A Tasmanian CBD has been rocked by a spate of violent youth offending, with one victim business owner taking the extraordinary step of forking out thousands for security protection.
Robin Smith, owner of Coffee Republic cafe, in Launceston’s Brisbane St Mall, was “king hit” on Tuesday evening after responding to a group of youths who accosted customers of his, demanding they hand over vaping products.
In the wake of the assault – Tasmania Police said a youth was arrested at the scene and charged with two common assaults – Mr Smith has taken the extraordinary step of hiring full-time security, a step he said costs him about $1000 per day.
“I have a legal obligation to protect my staff,” he said.
Thomas Paul Security (TPS) officers have already seen some action in the two days since their hiring.
On Thursday night, the stationed officer activated his distress beacon after two juveniles approached the store, part of a larger group of teens that had been moved on previously by police.
On Friday morning between 7.25–7.35am, Mr Smith called both police and TPS upon witnessing a group of approximately four juveniles “trying to smash our CCTVs”.
Mr Smith said not only is there the additional cost of hiring security, but the business’ opening hours are being affected.
“We had to delay opening until security arrived [on Friday], and last night we closed early,” he said.
“We normally close at 8pm, but we’ve been closing earlier and earlier because of this youth gang problem.”
Regarding the issue of youth crime, Mr Smith said he “has faith in the legislature, the judiciary, and Tasmania Police, but the world has moved on”.
“We’re getting kids younger and younger, 13, 12, 11, committing quite serious offences. We need police to update their policy on handling youth, particularly the emerging problem in Launceston which is knife crime,” he said.
To prove the point, TPS guard John Mokomoko, stationed at the cafe on Friday, showed the Mercury his ballistic vest and kevlar sleeves and gloves.
“We don’t fear getting shot but we do fear knives, and kids carrying scissors. We are better off being prepared,” he said.
Mr Mokomoko said he expected a long day.
“They’ll be back later tonight running amok and into the morning. I don’t see a quick fix [to youth crime],” he said.
The alleged assault on Mr Smith was the first of two violent youth assaults to have rocked Launceston in the space of 72 hours.
In a since-deleted social media post, a Launceston banker identified that her student brother was “bashed” in Brisbane St Mall “on the way to the bus stop to go to school by those horrible teenagers that hang around on their scooters” at about 7.40am Friday.
“This attack was unprovoked and he does not know these people,” she said.
“He has a possible broken nose and a very severe concussion so he can barely remember the incident. The little f---s also stole his wallet.”
A Tasmania Police spokeswoman said the reported assault was being investigated.
“No charges have been laid at this stage. However, police are following a specific line of inquiry,” she said.
Luke Dawson, owner of Kingsway surfwear retailer Venue Clothing said youth crime in the CBD – his shop is a regular target for shoplifters – “ebbs and flows”.
“At the moment I feel like police have had a targeted campaign on antisocial behaviour and youth offending in the CBD, so it’s possibly a little bit quieter than what it was. It always fluctuates and increases in busier periods like school holidays,” he said.
Mr Dawson said the level of vigilance required to ensure the retention of stock was exhausting.
“We spend all day every day making sure we don’t have stuff stolen, if we were to back off that it would happen more often,” he said.
“It’s a full-time job for a person to be watching the store, watching computers.
“I guarantee if we backed off we would have more shoplifting. Some of the bigger retailers that don’t have that same focus get hit hard.”
Mr Dawson voiced an opinion that in all the clamour to be rid of Deloraine’s Ashley Youth Detention Centre – and it has been a house of horrors for many detainees, rife with sexual assaults and abuse – the prospect of detention was the biggest gun in the crime prevention armoury.
“Getting rid of youth detention is a ridiculous notion when the only stick police and judges have to wield is putting these kids somewhere where they can’t offend because they’re recidivist,” Mr Dawson said.
“People are saying kids shouldn’t be locked up, well, kids shouldn’t be on the streets causing so much issues for retailers and shoppers.
“If there are no consequences things are going to get worse, not better.
“It frustrates me, hearing comments like that from people who don’t have to deal with it on a daily basis.”
Tasmania Police aware of ongoing youth crime issues in shopping precincts
Tasmania Police says it is doing “all it can” to reduce the instance of youth crime in high foot-traffic precincts, but a collaborative approach was required, including the need for members of the public to provide intelligence whenever they witness antisocial behaviour.
Launceston’s CBD has been rocked by two serious assaults in less than 72 hours, one on a cafe owner attempting to calm a violent chair-throwing melee, the other a student on his way to the morning school bus.
The organisation “continues to work closely with business owners [in the Launceston CBD] through an active focus group,” a spokeswoman said.
“High-visibility foot patrols are conducted regularly utilising uniform police, detectives, plain clothes officers, and police dogs – all with a joint aim of reducing crime around shopping and transport precincts and supporting the community.
“We had 16 new constables join the Launceston division last month, further adding to our highly visible police presence in the CBD.
“We will continue to conduct high visibility patrols focused on problem areas, particularly during specific times when large numbers of people, including youths, are known to congregate – to deter and detect offences.
“Police are doing all we can to bring these people to account, but we can’t do it alone. Police need the community’s help to get the message to those people that choose to do the wrong thing.”
The ongoing youth crime issues in Launceston are replicated across Greater Hobart.
Kingston Inspector, Colin Riley, last month said that an “increase in property crime in the Blackmans Bay and Kingston central suburbs, at private dwellings, retail outlets, and outbuildings,” was being driven by “recidivist youths or young adults”.
“Our frontline officers are advising there are ongoing challenges in dealing with these offenders,” Inspector Riley said.
Earlier, in May, newly appointed Southern District Commander Jason Elmer said youth crime would be a particular focus of his.
“Recent data shows that while there has been a decline in youth offending over the past 10 years, we are currently experiencing an increase in youth crime,” he said.
“Tasmania Police is concerned about this, particularly relating to repeat youth offenders.”
Commander Elmer said police in Hobart’s CBD had a “dedicated taskforce deployed daily to deal with anti-social behaviour and other offences.
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