Police have charged 99 people with 301 offences during Taskforce Guardian’s ninth deployment to the Far North.
Taskforce Guardian brought together police and expert youth justice workers, who worked alongside the Cairns Property Crime Unit, Tactical Crime Squad and the Dog Squad to tackle youth offending and bolster community safety through strategic patrols, targeted investigations, and joint operations including bail checks, community and family engagement.
Between May 20 and May 27, officers from Taskforce Guardian joined Cairns police in an operation targeting recidivist youth offenders.
78 young people were charged with 251 offences, and 21 adults with 50 offences during the 6-day deployment.
Of note, police arrested a 16-year-old Manunda boy after he allegedly stole a taxi from Lake Street on May 22.
Taskforce Guardian officers were conducting checks at a Bungalow property when they allegedly observed the vehicle driving erratically.
Police tracked the vehicle to a Manunda address and took the 16-year-old boy into custody that afternoon.
He was charged with a total of 26 offences, including unlawful use of a motor vehicle and dangerous operation.
He was denied bail and remanded in custody until his next appearance in the Cairns Childrens Court on June 13.
A 16-year-old Mareeba boy was also arrested and charged with one count of unlawful use of a motor vehicle.
He was dealt with under the provisions of the Youth Justice Act.
Since Taskforce Guardian commenced operations in May 2023, more than 1,300 young people have been arrested on 4,300 offences with more than 500 diverted from the youth justice system.
Most offences were related to property crime including stolen vehicles and break ins, along with bail compliance.
Detective Acting Inspector Scott McGrath said Taskforce Guardian is a valuable addition to local police operations.
“These results show the benefit of having immediate, additional support to disrupt youth offending,” Detective Acting Inspector McGrath said.
“Taskforce Guardian bolsters our frontline strategically by targeting crime hotspots to disrupt offending and keep our community safe.
“We continue to see positive results in relation to arresting recidivist offenders and engaging with high-risk youth.”
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