Tuesday, 29 August 2023

Youth crime

Trung LUU (Western Metropolitan) (17:40): (432) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Police. The action I seek is for the minister to enable police detaining power when dealing with youths aged 10 to 13 to ensure the control and security of our streets. With the age of criminal responsibility being raised to 12 and then 14 in 2027, this will strip the power of police to hold youth accountable for the rise in incidents of assaults, aggravated burglaries, aggravated robberies and other serious offences. It must be stressed this non-punitive power to detain is primarily for the safety of the public, to stop and prevent any continuation of the commission of the offence. It will also allow police the capacity to collect crucial evidence for any future prosecution.

This comes at a troubling time, when our community has experienced an increase in violent offending by youth, particularly of the ages between 12 and 13 years old. Statistics show over the past four years common assaults by 12- and 13-year-olds have risen – a grave concern – by 55 per cent to 452 and aggravated robberies have almost doubled to 133 incidents. It is unacceptable to raise the criminal age and remove deterrents for youth to commit such invasive and violent offences. The government’s policy of raising the criminal age has left victims without justice for these serious criminal cases.

When we remove the police powers to hold young people accountable for their crimes, we are weakening the justice system by instilling the youth with no sense of responsibility and consequence for their actions. I ask the minister that resources and action are implemented to prevent youth crime from going rampant with our youth no longer facing responsibility for their actions. As the Chief Commissioner of Police Shane Patton said, ‘This isn’t about putting kids in the cells.’ These powers are used in conjunction with non-punitive detention powers to keep youth in school and ensure the safety of the community and offenders. I call on the minister to provide at least an outline of these strategies to support police and provide power in deterring youth crime and keeping kids in school.