BY STUDENT REPORTER JESSICA PURCELL

Many teenage troublemakers at Caneland Shopping Centre may be a thing of the past if new restrictions at Stockland Rockhampton are anything to go by.

In a bid to cut down on crime and violence in the complex, management at Stockland Rockhampton have recently placed age restrictions on their customers.  Children under the age of 15 must be accompanied by an adult inside the shops and groups larger than four people congregating will not be allowed. 

Reports from Rockhampton's The Morning Bulletin indicate the frustration of the Rockhampton community, both parents and teenagers, and it seems their feelings are somewhat echoed in Mackay.

Megan Vella, 12, loves the chance to go shopping just with her friends and thinks the restrictions at Stockland are unfair.

"We get to have our friends' opinion, and it's really fun," she said.

"I don't think it's fair [the restriction].  It should be for people under 10."

"I don't like the groups of 4 part [of the rule] either as there are six people in my group," she said. 

Whilst the bans at Stockland were put in place to help reduce crime, general safety seems to be more of a concern.

"I haven't really seen any crime, but I have seen people being violent when I walk past," said Megan.

"I don't like going on a Thursday night because it is crazy and it scares me, and there's all those ‘emos'."

Megan's mother Sandy is also aware of the crowds of teenagers at Caneland and she too has concerns about safety there.

"I wouldn't let Megan go at night.  I wouldn't go on a Thursday night myself, because of the crowds," she stated.

However, Sandy felt that the age restriction was slightly skewed and that at least in Mackay, the troubles lie with another group.

"I think it [the trouble] is more from the older kids in the 15-18 year old category," she said. 

Whilst Sandy doesn't feel the restrictions are too extreme for the culprits, she does feel that the ban in Rockhampton is unfair to a larger group of  teenagers who are doing the right thing. 

"It's unfair for those who are nice [and quiet]," she said.  

"Not all teenagers are bad.  The majority want to have fun and go shopping and have some independence. Parents want to be able to give them that little bit of independence too," she noted. 

Plain clothes Senior Constable Christine Hinds, of Mackay Criminal Investigation Branch, and formerly of Mackay Police Beat feels there is a link between crime and the youth at Caneland but is unsure about the success of a ban.

"Yes I do think there is a link, and I believe the ban is a good idea but I don't think it can be enforced," she said.

Senior Constable Hinds is also more than aware that the teenage presence has an impact on the dwindling numbers of shoppers but agrees with Sandy that not everyone is to blame.

"I believe the number of shoppers has decreased because of youth.  People don't want to be around unruly teenagers," she said.

"Unfortunately, it takes a few to give the rest a bad name."

Of course if restrictions were to be imposed at Caneland there is the question of where the teenagers would go then.

"If they couldn't go to Caneland, they would spill out into the City Heart, and fast-food joints and car parks and harass people there," said Sandy.

"It wouldn't make the streets safer, and there isn't any supervison."

Overall Megan, Sandy and Senior Constable Hinds agree  that although the Stockland restrictions may not be the way to go, something needs to be done.

"The ban in Rockhampton is absurd and extreme.  They better not do it in Mackay because it would make me upset. But I think they should make a rule because it gets a bit out of control," said Megan.

Senior Constable Hinds feels that the best solution is to work with the youth to come up with suitable rules and penalties.

"We have tried to work with community groups in the past. We need to work in conjunction with the youth; make them part of the decision making.  Set out firm guidelines and then ban them if they break them.  Don't just have an outright ban," she said.