MAKE no mistake, the arrest of a 14-year-old Wagga boy this week will not be a silver bullet solution to the car theft spree sweeping the city.
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Police claim the teen, who has pleaded not guilty to car stealing charges, could be the baby-faced kingpin of a group responsible for swiping 19 cars in the past 13 days.
The cost of these thefts is profound – not just financially but socially. Victims are stripped of their vehicles and stripped of their faith in the community. Even those not targeted are struck by a creeping fear they might be next.
If this alleged offender is found guilty, it is incumbent upon the court to recognise the depth of concern in the community about car thefts and mete out a punishment commensurate with that.
Too many good people are being punished by the actions of a lawless few. A person capable of stealing and torching a vehicle is capable of understanding right and wrong. It’s time the justice system lived up to its name and recognised that.
