IPSWICH Mayor Teresa Harding has led calls for new legislation that pushes for harsher sentences and bail conditions to be reviewed for serious repeat youth offenders after Vyleen White’s death.
“If you’re going to do an adult crime, you need to do the adult time,” she said.
A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder after Ms White was stabbed outside Redbank Plains shopping centre west of Brisbane in a suspected carjacking earlier this month.
The Ipswich Council has written to Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath to request the implementation of youth justice legislation changes, to be named ‘Vyleen’s Law’
She said Ipswich residents were becoming more scared by crime in the area, especially after Ms White’s death.
“This has really rocked us,” she said.
Ms Harding wants more measures to be implemented by the government including crime reduction initiatives, education investment and a Police Beat presence inside the Redbank Plains shopping district.
Councillor Sheila Ireland and Independent candidate for Division 1 Josh Addison have also joined forces with Vyleen White’s family to push for the introduction of ‘Vyleen’s Law’, calling for stricter sentencing of repeat youth offenders and a review of bail conditions of serious youth offenders, in a bid to address youth crime, not only in Ipswich but across the state.
Addison said the initiative had a dual purpose.
“Our first priority is to ensure that Vyleen is remembered not merely as a headline but for her profound impact on our community. Secondly, we are committed to preventing such tragedies from recurring, standing up and offering solutions where the government has faltered.
“We also want ‘Vyleen’s Law’ to create a lasting legacy. Every life saved through our community’s action to honour Vyleen and enhance safety affirms that her loss was not in vain. She will continue to save lives, ensuring her memory endures,” he said.
An e-petition has been sent to Queensland Parliament asking all Members of Parliament to support the measures and work collaboratively towards a safer Queensland.
Councillor Ireland emphasised the need to consider evidence-based solutions in future actions.
“It’s crucial to propose measures derived from thorough consultation, not merely those popular at the time. By collaborating with the White Family, we’re striving to implement actionable steps that prioritise community safety and prevent future tragedies,” she said.
The initiative comes as Queensland Police arrested 21 young people for more than 100 offences over just two weeks to 11 February in an operation specifically targeting repeat offenders in the Ipswich area.
One 15 year old boy and one 16 year old boy were charged with almost half the total offences in the operation.
Ipswich District Officer Superintendent Kylie Rigg said the rapid response taskforce, combining Taskforce Guardian officers and youth justice workers, brought in “more boots on the ground” to conduct proactive patrols, bail compliance checks and more to assist Ipswich police.
We hear the community’s frustration and police will do everything in our power to seek justice for victims and bring offenders to account.
“Extra police including plain clothes and general duties officers are also conducting high-visibility patrols aimed at deterring anti-social and criminal behaviour across Ipswich.
“These extra patrols have been complimented by the presence of the mobile police facility at Redbank Plains shopping centre that allowed members of the public to engage and report anything that they had concerns about in the community,” she said.
Long-term policing initiatives, including Operation Whiskey Unison which involves wanding operations [scanning to detect knives] and a high-visibility police presence in key areas such as shopping centres and transport hubs will continue, she said.
Meanwhile the State government has announced $6 million will be allocated to funding state-wide knife crime prevention education campaigns.
The Vyleen White case has also prompted Premier Steven Miles to say he will push to give journalists and families of victims access to the children’s court in the interests of transparency and scrutiny of the court process and will initiate consultation with stakeholders.
