After years of the north west calling for help, the State Government has announced sweeping changes to crack down on youth crime.
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Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she had listened to the community and announced a five point action plan to target youth crime.
"We acknowledge that local communities and their families have concerns about youth crime," Premier Palaszczuk said.
"Where there is crime there must be punishment.
"Criminals - especially young ones - should fear the law.
"It has to be crystal clear to everybody community safety comes first."
The government five-point action plan includes:
- Tougher action on bail. Offenders posing a risk to the community should not get bail.
- A police blitz on bail, appealing court decisions where appropriate.
- A 24/7 Police Strike Team involving youth justice workers for high risk offenders.
- Culture-based rehabilitation for indigenous offenders through new On Country initiatives trialled in Townsville, Cairns and Mount Isa.
- Empowering local communities in the war on crime with $2 million for community-based organisations for local community-based solutions.
"These are changes our MPs in Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton and the Gold Coast have advocated and the government has acted," Premier Palaszczuk said.
"These have contributed to a 12 per cent reduction in the number of youth offenders. Today's initiatives will concentrate on the 10 per cent refusing to choose a life other than crime."
The 10 community-based crime action committees will be rolled out in Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton, Mount Isa, Toowoomba, Caboolture, Ipswich, Logan, Gold Coast and Brisbane.
Five locations - Townsville, Cairns, Brisbane North, Logan and Rockhampton - will trial a new police/youth justice worker partnership targeting high-risk offenders.
Police Minister Mark Ryan said the government had listened to the concerns of local communities and was taking action.
"We will go hard core on the hard nut offenders and will ensure that these offenders are held to account and the community is safe," Minister Ryan said.
"The government's intention has always been clear and that is community safety must come first and that's the message we're reinforcing."
Minister for Child Safety, Youth and Women Di Farmer said Government was committed to keeping the community safe.
"We are committed to keeping community safety as our number one objective," Minister Farmer said.
KAP Leader and Traeger MP Robbie Katter said youth crime had reached crisis point in recent weeks, and warned North Queenslanders would not take lightly to pre-election lip service.
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He said locations such as Townsville, Cairns and Mount Isa were currently at high-risk of retaliatory vigilantism, and that youth crime solutions had to immediately improve public safety.
"I am welcoming but cautious of this announcement from the State Government," Mr Katter said.
"For three years now we have been banging on their doors, pleading with Labor to look at alternative sentencing options that would include getting kids 'on-country'.
"Time and time again we were knocked back, and told relocation sentencing wasn't the answer as they proceeded with business as usual.
"Even though the timing is convenient with the State Election only months away, it is refreshing the government has finally decided to move on this issue.
"Both short and long-term solutions of this crime crisis must look at its symptoms and causes: including generational unemployment, alcohol and substance abuse (including the effect in Queensland of the alcohol bans in the NT) and the effectiveness of the Youth Justice Act."
Mr Katter said the KAP was now waiting to learn more about Labor's new plan, but stressed the devil could be in the detail.
He said the KAP's door was always open for discussions with both major parties on the issue.
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