LET’S LICENSE MUMS AND DADS

In The Sunday Mail (Brisbane) September 1 2024

Emily Pidgeon

A retired detective who believes pet owners have stricter responsibility expectations than parents is calling for radical solutions to tackle the youth crime crisis.

Former detective superintendent Mark Ainsworth says there is a certain level of accountability for animal owners, and questioned whether similar guidelines should be put in place for parents and guardians.

“You need licences to look after certain animals,” Mr Ainsworth told Gary Jubelin on the I Catch Killers podcast.

“You’re responsible for the animal’s wellbeing and you’re held accountable (for its behaviour).

“What’s the difference between that and holding a parent or guardian accountable for their child’s behaviour?

“People have to take responsibility for the children they’re raising.

“If someone breaks into a house or damages something, the parents need to be held accountable.

“I’m not saying this relates to all parents and guardians.

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“I understand some are at their wits’ end trying to control their kids and conform with laws.”

The respected detective, who led the 2012 investigation into Allison Baden-Clay’s murder, said youth crime isn’t a policing issue, it’s a “whole community problem”.

Police have become babysitters, he said, which is “costing the community a hell of a lot of money”.

“Particularly here in Queensland, they are used as a stopgap measure for other duties, which are not necessarily policing duties.”

The retired investigator said he believed the youth crime epidemic was partially caused by the baby bonus scheme introduced by the John Howard government in 2004.

“Women in particular who got the $5000 baby bonus ran out and bought televisions or put drugs up their arms,” he said. “Now society is trying to look after those kids. I’m not saying all, but a lot fall into that age category.”

Mr Ainsworth said youth crime has become a core focus in policing, taking crucial resources away from solving other crimes.

“These offenders are getting put before the court, they get bail or they get sentenced and then they’re meeting with like- minded kids who then come out and reoffend,” he said.

Imposing tougher prison sentences, he said, won’t solve the problem.

“In reality, how often does a juvenile receive the maximum penalty? I’d argue it’s not a deterrent for the kid at the time.

“It’s just an easy way for the government to say we’re tightening things up, but they’re not looking at the core issues going on.”

Mr Ainsworth said he believed the solution was encouraging young children to step away from technology and learn important life skills.

“Set up a diversionary system to divert kids away from the court system,” he said. “It’s nothing new. They can get an education, learn farming skills, learn respect, learn a trade and more importantly, get away from social media.

“So there’s no phones or no computers and they can learn life skills that we learned as kids growing up.”

The former officer, who was with Queensland Police Service for almost 40 years, said a diversion program should be accessible to all children.