Criminal offences committed by 10 to 17-year-olds have increased by a startling 35% in the past year across the Latrobe local government area according to new data, sparking further concerns from The Nationals’ Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron, about the escalating youth crime crisis.
Data from the Crime Statistics Agency for the quarter to March 2024 also reveals that 10 to 17-year-olds are committing more crimes than any other age demographic, and the leading principal offence is breaches of orders.
Mr Cameron said the damning statistics were irrefutable evidence youth crime was spiralling out of control under the Allan Labor Government, and band-aid measures introduced this week would not be enough to adequately address the crisis.
“Just as Labor weakened bail laws in March, cut nearly $20 million from the courts in this year’s budget, and cut money from diversion and prevention programs, it has no real answer to the youth crime crisis,” Mr Cameron said.
“Serious crimes like aggravated burglary and assault are being committed by 10 and 11-year-olds, yet Labor unbelievably wants to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 by 2027.
“This is a very complex and multi-faceted issue and I acknowledge there are many other contributing societal factors at play when it comes to youth crime.
“We can’t arrest our way out of this, but redefining crime and removing criminal responsibility does not address the root cause of youth crime, nor does it reduce offending or improve safety for the broader community.
“An amendment to the Control of Weapons Act will allow police to carry out searches, but it doesn’t go far enough, and these searches can only be conducted in designated areas.
“Our police do a terrific job keeping our community safe but they are critically under-resourced by Labor, with some 1000 vacancies for frontline Victoria Police officers.
“It’s also important to remember that police are not just law enforcement officers – they conduct youth outreach programs, link with local services to provide referrals, and work tirelessly to support disengaged youth – all these things go a long way to kerbing crime in the first instance.
“Labor can’t manage money, can’t manage the youth justice system, and Victorians are paying the price.”
