Member for Toowoomba South David Janetzki MP obtained figures from the police minister December 15 which show the shocking increase in youth crime.

“Our community has been subjected to shocking crimes perpetrated by youths this year – relentless car thefts, home invasions, armed robberies, stabbings, and culminating in the death of Robert Brown outside Grand Central Shopping Centre,” Mr Janetzki said.

“Pensioners have been mugged at ATMs, dragged out of their cars and beaten, and threatened with weapons inside their homes by teenagers with no regard for the law,” he said.

“This generation of untouchables rush to post their crimes on social media, that is how certain they are, there will be no consequences for their actions.”

The number of reported offences community by children aged 10 to 17 in the Toowoomba Police Division over the past five years were:

• 2095 offences in 2019
• 2,122 offences in 2020
• 2,053 offences in 2021
• 2,385 offences in 2022
• 1,695 offences in 2023 up until 31 October
• 10,350 offences in total

The true number of crimes would be much higher due to unreported offences.

Mr Janetzki said the government needed to create consequences for actions.

“Police work tirelessly to catch youth offenders, now we need to unshackle the judiciary by removing detention as a last resort,” he said.