A police van with lights and sirens blazing, travelling through a red light at a busy Cairns intersection, overturned after colliding with a Falcon sedan on Saturday.
The accident follows another, nine days before, involving a police four wheel drive which collided with an elderly pedestrian who later died in hospital.
While juvenile crime is out of control understaffed police stations are trying to cope with more callouts than they can handle, many involving domestic violence and out of control mainly Aboriginal and white youths stealing on average three cars a day in the Cairns area.
Five youths in three stolen late model cars terrorised parts of Cairns rampaging through suburban streets and main thoroughfares taunting police who were unable to give chase due to public safety risks.
District Superintendent Mick Searle said about 60 officers and two helicopters were involved in tracking the alleged offenders over a 12-hour period on Wednesday.
He said police received more than 130 calls from concerned members of the public, but defended the decision not to actively pursue the vehicles.
“I know there’s commentary around why weren’t we chasing cars yesterday. There are clear reasons for that,” Superintendent Searle said.
“Chases usually result in one of two things: a crash or some cornered offenders dumping a car in a really dangerous circumstance, which can also cause harm and injury to others.
Both the Cairns and Townsville-based police helicopters tracked the cars for several hours before officers used tyre spikes to stop one of the vehicles around 3pm on Wednesday.
Four boys were arrested with the help of the dog squad shortly after, while an 18-year-old was taken into custody later in the day.
Such is the increasing juvenile crime rate in Queensland that elderly residents in the Far North are locking themselves in their homes too frightened to go out after being confronted with car-jackings, robberies and knife attacks occurring almost every day.
Youths have been breaking into homes regardless of the occupants being present or not, stealing car keys and other valuables while armed with knives or other weapons.
Leader of Katters Australian Party Robbie Katter says enough is enough. “Why hasn’t the LNP Government supported the largest petition ever presented in this state calling for Castle Law which gives home occupants the right to defend themselves by any means during these often violent home invasions?”
“The people have already spoken don’t want another survey. They want action.”
Mr Katter said KAP had been pushing relocation sentencing and stronger consequences for repeat offenders long before both major parties caught up to the crisis.
“KAP put relocation sentencing on the table years ago because regional communities were already begging for intervention before more young lives and more victims were created,” he said.
“And here’s the reality nobody wants to admit – the detention centres are already overflowing.
“So, if the government is serious about stopping repeat offending and reforming these kids, then they need a different approach.
“KAP has already put the solution on the table.
“Relocation sentencing gets repeat offenders out of the same destructive environments, away from the same influences and into structured environments where they can be rehabilitated.
“Castle Law provides a real deterrent.”
