POLICE should be given authority to come in and round up kids in West Dubbo for terrorising the streets and leaving residents without mail services, One Nation founder and NSW Senate candidate Pauline Hanson said.
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Ms Hanson was in Dubbo yesterday canvassing support for her NSW Senate bid when she said she felt "terribly frustrated, angry and unsafe" after reading the Daily Liberal's story about parcel delivery services being stopped in the troubled neighbourhood because of ongoing safety issues.
She had one message for all Dubbo residents: "Parents, take control of your kids".
"The buck stops with the state government who control the police," she said.
"An ordinary citizen cannot do anything. They're screaming out for someone to do something."
Ms Hanson slammed the state government for neglecting its duty of care to the city's troubled children.
"It's disgusting it has been allowed to go on for this long," she said.
She said it was "not good enough" for the problem to continue and she vowed to do "everything to stop it" if she was elected.
"The children have to be controlled," she said.
"If their parents can't stop or control them so they could learn they cannot do this... they should be taken from their parents and put into youth detention centres."
Ms Hanson said she was unapologetic in her way of solving a deep-seated issue in the community.
Member for Dubbo Troy Grant criticised Ms Hanson for her "populist and simplistic answer without thought" and said she had no inkling of the complexities of the issue.
"It's easy for people like her to say those comments... simply locking them up is not the answer," he said.
"I'm building a real solution rather than a five minute grab from a wannabe politician."
Ms Hanson believed residents had a right to feel safe in their homes and not be bullied by groups of children.
"They have to be stopped," she said.
"Actually if you don't deal with the situation now you're going to have thugs on your streets."
Parents had to teach their children respect and responsibility, she said.
They should not be allowed to get away with violence against anyone.
Ms Hanson said federal, state and local government should work hand in hand to fix the problem plaguing West Dubbo.
"It's about time our leaders showed some leadership and make our streets safe," she said.
Police had their hands tied as they could not arrest young children, which left the youngsters unaccountable for their actions under the law.
Ms Hanson said lowering the criminal age was not the solution.
"...Parents must be responsible for their child and if they're not then these children are uncontrollable," she said.
"The parents have to be answerable why their children are like this and why their children should not be taken away from them and put in a youth detention centre."
Ms Hanson said her heart went out to elderly and sick residents in West Dubbo who were made soft targets because they were unable to fend for themselves.
