The Department of Justice says courts will soon be able to order that certain hard-core youth offenders be fitted with GPS devices as a condition of bail.
Minister for Police, Mark Ryan said the move was part of new Youth Justice reforms specifically designed to target recidivist offenders.
“This trial of GPS monitoring devices gives police and the courts another tool to target the small minority that commit the majority of offences,” Mr Ryan said.
“Courts will be able to order 16-to-17-year-olds to wear GPS devices if they are given bail, providing an extra layer of security and increased safety for the community.”
He said the devices would be monitored around the clock by Queensland Corrective Services who had extensive experience with this technology.
The Minister said the introduction of GPS monitoring devices was part of a funding package to support the crackdown on youth crime.
The package includes a trial of GPS monitoring in Townsville, North Brisbane, Moreton, Logan and the Gold Coast and the expansion of the joint Police and Youth Justice Co-responder Strike Teams to North Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
He said that also in the package were enhanced supervision of young people on bail through the Conditional Bail Program, and intensive support for families of children on bail provided by non-Government organisations in communities.
Mr Ryan said the changes were supported by a presumption against bail for certain serious repeat offenders who committed a crime while on bail, and the ability for a court to seek assurances from parents or guardians before an offender was released
He said data showed that 10 per cent of all youth offenders accounted for 48 per cent of all youth crime.
Former Police Commissioner, Bob Atkinson will report on the efficacy of the measures in six months and Assistant Police Commissioner Cheryl Scanlon will lead a Youth Crime Taskforce to implement the new measures.
