People in the Hawthorn electorate are worried, and they have every right to be. The rise in car thefts, home invasions, and aggravated burglaries is real, it's frightening, and it demands a serious response.
The major parties have had plenty to say about it. Labor introduced ‘Adult Time for Violent Crime’, pushing 14-year-olds into adult courts and adult prisons. The Liberals demanded the same, and more. Both are competing for the toughest-sounding headline. Neither is asking whether any of it actually works.
Harsher sentences and tighter bail laws have their place for serious, repeat offenders. But for the broader cohort of at-risk young people, the evidence points clearly in another direction: earlier intervention, better family support, and properly funded youth programs. The Glasgow Violence Reduction Unit proved that in one of Europe's most dangerous cities. Many police experts in Victoria have urged us to pay attention to that model.
Right now, too many young offenders are cycling through underfunded, privately-run residential care homes. These environments rehabilitate no one, and send young people back to the streets more damaged than before. That's not tough. That's an expensive failure.
As your Independent, I'll take a different approach:
- Visible policing to make our homes and neighbourhoods safer now
- Genuine early intervention, funded properly and sustained over time
- Reform of the residential care system so it actually rehabilitates, rather than entrenches criminality
- A direct working relationship with Victoria Police and local communities, because locals know where the gaps are
Real safety requires both enforcement and prevention. I'll fight for both, without the slogans and political point-scoring.
For Hawthorn: Working with Victoria Police and local communities to make our neighbourhoods and homes safe again.