A new youth co-responder team has hit the streets of Mount Isa as part of the Palaszczuk Government’s investment in community safety.
A co-responder team of police and youth justice workers has hit the streets of Mount Isa, ready to work 24/7 with at-risk young people to help break the cycle of crime.
The Mount Isa team is one of five additional co-responder teams being established in Queensland, as part of a $100 million investment in community safety and the expansion of early intervention, diversionary and rehabilitation programs to deter young people from offending.
Co-responder teams patrol the streets together and engage with young people and their carers, including high-risk young people and serious repeat offenders.
They also provide practical support, intervening where groups congregate, transporting young people to safety, working with support agencies, and exploring ways to keep young people out of the youth justice system.
Vulnerable young people are also connected with the right services to turn their lives around, including those that help with housing, jobs training, health, domestic and family violence and education.
Co-responder teams have been progressively established around the state since 2020, interacting with young people more than 62,000 times.
The five new teams will service Mount Isa, Toowoomba, the Fraser Coast, South Brisbane and Ipswich. The joint teams already operate in eight regions from Cairns to the Gold Coast.
Quotes attributable to Youth Justice Minister Di Farmer:
“We’re strongly committed to expanding our early intervention and diversionary programs because we know they can be critical in helping turn young lives around.
“And importantly, we know they can stop crime before it occurs and help tackle the complex causes of youth crime.
“We’re already seeing early evidence that these programs are working but we need to give them time.
“Our existing youth co-responder teams do a great job interacting with young people wherever they are, and whenever they need a helping hand.
“I understand the Mount Isa team is already having a positive impact as they find solutions for young people who are in crisis or on the verge of getting into trouble with the law.
“Young people need to be held accountable if they commit crimes, but they also need to know that help is available and that they can make positive choices.”
Quotes attributable to Commander of the Youth Crime Taskforce Acting Assistant Commissioner George Marchesini:
“We have seen terrific outcomes from the youth co-responder program in other parts of the state and I’m confident this initiative will make a real difference here in Mount Isa.
“We know by focusing our interactions with both at-risk and high-risk young people, we can build rapport and maximise early intervention opportunities.
“Our youth co-responder teams are connecting with young people in a positive way.
“We’re continuing to see positive relationships being built and high engagement rates that are sustained due to the joint approach.”
Quotes attributable to Mount Isa youth co-responder team member Renae Carson:
“Our team has hit the ground running.
“Teams in other parts of the state have already demonstrated the importance of their work, such as helping young people grappling with domestic violence or drug addiction.
“They’ve also transported young people home if they’re engaging in anti-social behaviour, helped to find missing children, and assisted families in crisis.
“I know we can play a similar role here in Mount Isa in putting young people on to a better path.
“It’s clear that community safety is of key importance to Mount Isa residents and businesses.
“We hope that by engaging with young people on the street, in their homes, at a local park or a shopping centre, that we can prevent them from heading to the courthouse.
“I’m confident we’ll be able to make a difference, both for young individuals and for the community.”
