A police crackdown in the Far North, including Cairns, has captured 69 offenders in just a matter of weeks.
Operation Uniform Theta began on December 19, and includes extra high visibility police patrols targeting known crime hotspots, shopping centres, service stations and also involves a heightened number of bail compliance checks.
Police Minister Mark Ryan said the Queensland Police Service had advised him 69 people had been arrested on more than 100 charges in the Far North police region.
That includes 12 youth offenders and 57 adult offenders.
Statewide, Operation Uniform Theta has resulted in more than 1,000 people being charged with over 2,000 offences.
“This sends a clear message that if you want to break the law, police will take action,” the Minister said.
“Community consultation is continuing on the tough new laws.
“That consultation will be considered and the new laws will be introduced to parliament next month.”
The Premier announced the tough new actions to further strengthen Queensland’s response to youth crime prior to Christmas including:
- Increasing the maximum penalty for stealing a car from 7 years to 10 years’ imprisonment
- A more severe penalty of 14 years if the offence is committed at night, where the offender uses violence or threatens violence, is armed or pretends to be armed, is in company or damages or threatens to damage any property
- Amend the Youth Justice Act requiring courts to take into account previous bail history, criminal activity and track record when sentencing
- Increased penalties for criminals who have boasted about these crimes on social media
- Extreme High Visibility Police Patrols
- A $9.89 million fast-track sentencing program in Brisbane, Townsville, Southport and Cairns so children spend less time on remand and more time serving their sentences
- The construction of two new youth detention centres
- A trial of engine immobilisers in Mt Isa, Cairns and Townsville
- The appointment within QPS of Assistant Commissioner to the position of Youth Crime Taskforce Commander
- The increased penalties apply to adult as well as juvenile offenders
Young offenders will be in custody for longer to make sure they can complete requisite rehabilitation and reform programs set out by the courts.
To help prevent car theft in the first place, $10 million will be provided to supply 20,000 engine immobilisers to be trialled in Cairns, Mt Isa, and Townsville.
In two years, the LNP under the current Leader of the Opposition have not introduced one private members bill and have not released one published policy to deal with crime or youth crime.
“This is a lazy opposition who have no ideas of their own other than to cut more police resources,” the Minister said.
Under the LNP’s 2020 election commitment, there would be 1,000 fewer police on the beat in Queensland, including 90 less in the Far Northern Region.
