A specialist taskforce targeting youth crime has for the first time swooped into the Gold Coast, with a three-week operation targeting high-risk juvenile offending wrapping up over the weekend.
Between March 25 and April 14, Taskforce Guardian apprehended 26 people on 104 offences, mostly in relation to property crime and bail offences.
This included 23 young people on 92 charges and three adults on 12 offences.
During their deployment at the Gold Coast, the Taskforce assisted local police with investigations into the assault of a 16-year-old girl in Surfers Paradise on April 6.
It will be alleged the girl was assaulted by a group of youths on Cavill Avenue and sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The combined efforts of Gold Coast Child Protection Investigation Unit and Taskforce Guardian resulted in the apprehension of a number of teenagers, who were subsequently charged.
Taskforce Guardian, which consists of dedicated Queensland Police Service specialist investigators and expert Youth Justice workers, works alongside local police and youth justice service centres to disrupt, investigate and prevent youth offending to enhance community safety.
Once on the ground, the Taskforce saturates problem-areas and bolsters local police and youth justice services with additional resources to tackle youth offending, including diversionary evidence-based conferencing and programs for young people in the youth justice system.
It also works with key support services and local resources to engage at-risk youth with relevant programs focused on health, education, employment, disability services and First Nations initiatives.
Since May 2023, there have been more than 67 deployments around the state including recent deployments to Hervey Bay, Mackay, Cairns, and Rockhampton.
Gold Coast District Officer Chief Superintendent Craig Hanlon said the Taskforce was an asset in strengthening the Gold Coast’s response to youth crime.
“As we’ve recently seen, Taskforce Guardian has been effective in assisting local police in tracking down and apprehending offenders and keeping the community safe,” Chief Superintendent Hanlon said.
“The assistance of Youth Justice workers also bolsters efforts to engage at-risk young people with support services and agencies, to divert them from offending before heading down the path to recidivist offending.
“Our frontline police do an excellent job day in and day out, however we welcome the additional resources to saturate hotspots”.
If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting or call 131 444.
Report crime information anonymously via Crime Stoppers. Call 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.
