Communities across Western Australia are experiencing increasing harm from repeat and cross‑regional youth offending. Victims, families, and small home‑based businesses are being left without support, while young people continue to offend with no structured intervention until after they are formally charged. This gap in the current system is allowing harmful behaviour to escalate and leaving communities feeling unprotected.

Under existing legislation, meaningful intervention can only occur once a young person has been charged and enters the court process. Until that point, even repeat offenders may receive multiple cautions without any escalation. Offenders can also travel between regions, for example, from Perth into Mandurah, to commit crimes and return home before police can respond. There is no statewide system to track cross‑regional youth offending, no escalation pathway for repeated behavior, and no accessible restitution options for victims of juvenile property crime.

These gaps have real impacts. Victims face significant financial losses with no compensation pathway. Home‑based businesses, including Family Day Care services, face heightened risk because their workplace is also their home. Police and youth justice officers report that current legislation limits their ability to act, even when offenders are known and repeat. Reoffending rates remain high, showing that existing measures are not reducing harm or changing behaviour.

Many community members believe Western Australia needs a better system — one that provides early intervention, structured accountability, and real support for victims and families. The Juvenile Accountability and Community Safety Program (JACSP), a community‑driven reform proposal, outlines practical improvements such as:
•     early, structured responses for repeat offenders before charges are laid
•     a statewide system to track youth offending across regions
•     escalating consequences that match repeated behaviour
•     stronger parental engagement and support
•     improved restorative justice and victim restitution options that apply to more than just violent crime

These types of reforms would help reduce reoffending, improve community safety, and support better outcomes for young people.

This petition calls on the Western Australian Government to explore reforms that close the gaps in the current youth justice system by improving early intervention, accountability, cross‑regional coordination, and victim support. This is not about harsher punishment, it is about creating a system that works for everyone.