What can we do as a community to stamp out the growing trend of youth thuggery in our area? My grandmother has lived here for the last 40 years and is now to scared to go into Maroochydore to do her shopping.
Regards
Kyle
Dear Kyle
Recent disturbing violent incidents near the bus station in Maroochydore have caused great concern and need to be stopped.
Violence should never be tolerated and we all have a right to feel safe and be safe on our streets, buses and trains. It is important to report any incidents to police as this will help get the message through as we lobby for funds and changes in how these issues are handled.
I am calling on the Queensland Government for more police resources as $44 million was cut from the State police budget in the last year which is having an impact on the ground.
We also need more resources to help Police, Youth Justice and other community agencies like IFYS (Integrated Family and Youth Services) to work together to divert young people early from crime and break the cycle. Sadly many young people are impacted by mental health and welfare issues, particularly those that don’t have the support of a stable home life. Diverting young people from crime early also requires tackling these issues.
There is currently a State-wide Youth Justice Strategy but no clear funded actions. Clearly we need to turn nice sounding policy documents into effective and funded actions with clear and transparent measures to support these vulnerable young people and help make our community safer.
I will keep pursuing the objective of safe streets and safe homes, working collaboratively with police and community to get a fair dinkum and funded outcome. However, please keep in contact as we also need the community’s help to keep reporting what they see.
Regards
Fiona