The Queensland Community Safety Plan will make Police Service’s Youth Crime Taskforce a permanent operational capability.
- The Taskforce has a key role in overseeing the QPS response to youth crime.
- The Taskforce Commander plays a critical role in implementing strategies to deal with youth crime.
The Miles Government has provided additional funding to establish the Queensland Police Service’s Youth Crime Taskforce as a permanent operational capability.
The Taskforce is instrumental in overseeing the QPS response to youth crime, implementing the QPS Youth Crime Strategy, and providing oversight and leadership of youth justice reforms.
Taskforce Commander Acting Assistant Commissioner Andrew Massingham will continue to lead the Taskforce.
The Taskforce has overseen the implementation of a number of effective tactical and strategic measures, including the establishment of Taskforce Guardian.
Taskforce Guardian is a dedicated flying squad of experienced detectives which is deployed to targeted areas to provide saturation policing operations.
Police say the operations of Taskforce Guardian have contributed significantly to a reduction in offending in a number of districts across Queensland.
Making the Taskforce permanent will ensure that not only is there an enhanced capability to respond to youth offending, but importantly will also ensure that prevention and intervention strategies continue to be implemented as a priority.
It will ensure that the successful intervention strategies employed by Project Booyah and PCYC hubs across the state will continue to support efforts to break the cycle of offending.
To that end, the Queensland Police Service has appointed a senior officer to co-ordinate the QPS’s many intervention and prevention programs.
There will always be a need for these kinds of interventions and supports to be available to at-risk young people.
Quotes attributable to Premier Steven Miles:
“It’s because of the dedicated efforts of Acting Commissioner Massingham and the Youth Crime Taskforce that we have seen an over 10 per cent decrease in youth offending this year (2024).
“High visibility and flying squad operations are overseen by the taskforce, which are proving to prevent, intervene and deter crime. That’s why we are making them permanent in our community safety plan.
“I want to see Queenslanders be safe and feel safe within their homes and communities, which is why making this taskforce permanent is so important.
“I will always listen to Police, and provide them with the support and resource they need to protect Queensland.”
Quotes attributable to Deputy Premier and Treasurer Cameron Dick:
“Tackling youth crime is about getting boots on the ground and allowing our police to get on with the job.
“By making the Youth Crime Taskforce a permanent and ongoing capability of the QPS, we are ensuring our frontline responders have the tools they need to do the job.”
Quotes attributable to Police Minister Mark Ryan:
“Police advise that the operations and methodologies put in place by the Youth Crime Taskforce are having a demonstrable effect in reducing crime across Queensland.
“Initiatives like Taskforce Guardian and its targeted operations are making a real difference helping to support community safety.
“Establishing the Youth Crime Taskforce as a permanent entity is eminently sensible decision given dedicated efforts on behalf of the community.”
Quotes attributable to Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski:
“The Youth Crime Taskforce has been instrumental in guiding and supporting efforts across the state to combat youth offending. “We know youth crime is a complex and challenging issue to address and it will take long-term commitment to address some of the underlying causes of crime. “The Taskforce is all about targeting youth crime with both early intervention and prevention strategies through to targeting serious repeat youth offenders.”
Quotes attributable Acting Assistant Commissioner Andrew Massingham:
“I am incredible proud of the efforts of our Youth Crime Taskforce, who every day work to consistently disrupt and prevent youth crime.
“While we are beginning to see the effects of a number of initiatives, we know there is a lot of work still to do.
“Whether it’s early intervention and prevention to re-engage at-risk young people in society, or Taskforce Guardian deployments alongside local police targeting serious repeat offenders endangering our communities.
“This will allow us to continue these relentless efforts to enhance community safety.”
