“I want to assure you that we understand how real and important those concerns are and are determined to act to ensure your community feels safe and that we continue to tackle the complex causes of youth crime,” he said.
The message highlights Labor’s internal balancing act:pursuing tougher measures to easecommunity fears about an opposition-labelled “youth crime crisis” without alienating party members,most of whom supporting evidence-based efforts to prevent young people falling into cycles of reoffending.
Miles’ message comes during heightened focus on youth justice after the high-profile Boxing Daykilling of Emma Lovell and shots allegedlyfired at vehicles in the rural town of Tara this week.
While most who come into contact with the youth justice system are diverted,up to half of the crime is committed by a group of about 300-400 repeat offenders — most with complex andFirst Nations backgrounds.
The LNP has for weeks urged Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk torecall parliament early to pass laws to enact some ofthe measures announced in the days after Lovell’s death,including a second new youth prison and higher maximum sentences for car theft.
Palaszczuk conceded at the time many people may not “like” the changes but insisted community safety was “paramount”.