Extra jail over ‘kill cars’, recruiting kids for crime
Criminals who recruit children or ‘car kill’ to break the law could face further prison sentences after a spate of shootings and firebombings.
In a bid to crack down on organized crime, the NSW government will introduce legislation on Tuesday that will create new offenses and make it harder for people with gang connections to get bail.
Anyone who sets fire to a car after using it to traffic drugs, supply a firearm or commit other serious crimes could be sentenced to up to 12 years in prison, which is two years more than the sentence for damage to property or damage by fire.
The maximum penalty for recruiting a child for criminal activity will increase from 10 to 12 years, and to 15 years if the child is under 16 or hired to steal a car.
Those who fire a handgun or prohibited firearm in public face up to 14 years in prison, while offenders who shoot at buildings or other vehicles could find themselves behind bars for 18 years.
“These comprehensive reforms will help keep our communities safe and hold organized criminals accountable for the destruction and damage they inflict on our streets,” said NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley.
In recent months police have made a number of arrests over alleged ‘kill cars’ used by organized crime groups or contract criminals to commit serious crimes and get away with it.
The vehicles are often stolen cars with cloned license plates containing balaclavas, guns and canisters that can be used to destroy evidence.
Police claim to have stopped an alleged ‘car kill’ plot in April after crashing an Audi believed to be linked to a spate of shootings and firebombings in Sydney’s south-west.
In October, cops also attacked a group of men in a car who allegedly tried to catch and kill their target while picking up a child from daycare.
In April, two men and a 17-year-old teenager were arrested for their alleged involvement in a firebombing.
Concerns about youth crime made headlines across the country.
According to Victorian government statistics, children committed 57.6 percent of carjackings, 52.6 percent of home invasions, 47.8 percent of aggravated burglaries and 62.4 percent of robberies.
Queensland and Victoria have passed controversial laws requiring children to face adult penalties for serious offences, while the NT has lowered the age of criminal responsibility from 12 to 10.
But youth justice experts say such reforms would lead to the imprisonment of already vulnerable children and would not prevent them from reoffending.
