Up to $20,000 in staged payments will be offered to entice police recruits to Queensland as the state government points to progress on it’s youth crime approach.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the $90 million package on the first day of a sitting of regional parliament in Cairns on Tuesday.
Part of the package is aimed at interstate and overseas police officers, with the payments to subsidise relocation costs.
University students in courses such as psychology, criminology, social work, or counselling will also be eligible for HECS debt discounts if they join the Queensland Police Service.
The announcement comes as Queensland government defends its youth crime response following the death of three women in a car crash allegedly involving the 13-year-old driver of a stolen car.
Liberal National opposition leader David Crisafulli pressed the premier on whether she supported keeping the policy of detention as a last resort or raising the criminal age of responsibility
On the first point, Ms Palaszczuk said detention as a last resort for children was part of a United Nations convention.
“If the opposition wants to go and talk to the UN about it, feel free,” she said.
Attorneys-general from across the country have discussed developing a proposal to raise the age, and the Queensland government has previously backed a national approach.
“We look forward to hearing the results of that,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
The latest focus on youth crime comes after state parliament passed a suite of measures in March, including a new offence for young people who breach conditions of their bail.
More than 70 offenders have been charged with the offence, the premier said.
The state’s “blitz on bail” has seen close to 8500 decisions reviewed by police prosecutors.
More than 80 per cent of reviews have been successful on appeal, or resulted in a withdrawal on a bail application.
© AAP 2023
