Youth co-responder team to patrol Hervey Bay streets

Hervey Bay will soon have its own youth co-responder team to patrol the streets and help tackle the region’s youth crime crisis.

A new youth co-responder team will be brought in to the Fraser Coast as a part of the state’s $100 million investment in early intervention and diversionary program to help tackle the youth crime crisis. Pictured: Bruce Saunders, Adrian Tantari, George Marchesini, and Di Farmer.

A new youth co-responder team will be brought in to the Fraser Coast as a part of the state’s $100 million investment in early intervention and diversionary program to help tackle the youth crime crisis.

Five new teams across Queensland, including Mount Isa, Toowoomba, South Brisbane and Ipswich, will intervene early and help prevent crime from happening in the first place, a state government statement said on Thursday.

Already operating in eight regions from Cairns to the Gold Coast, the co-responder teams have interacted with young people more than 62,000 times since being established in 2020.

Maryborough MP Bruce Saunders said evidence pointed to the fact that the best way to prevent disengaged young people from entering the youth justice system was to focus on intervening early.

“A 2022 report found 95 per cent average compliance by young people in their interactions with youth co-responder teams, including compliance with bail conditions and orders,” he said.

Youth Justice Minister Di Farmer said:

“Every time they engage with a young person, not only is it an opportunity to stop them from reoffending, but they also get to check on their welfare”.

The co-responder teams, which will be made up of police and youth justice staff, will patrol the streets of Hervey Bay in an effort to engage with youth, families and the wider community and to provide practical support, such as de-escalating conflicts, transporting youth to safety and exploring ways to divert young people from the youth justice system.

The team will try to connect vulnerable young people with the right services to turn their lives around, including housing support, health, domestic and family violence and education.

Youth Crime Taskforce Acting Assistant Commissioner George Marchesini said the youth co-responder teams were implemented to bring together the skills of police and youth justice workers to tackle youth crime from a different angle.

“Their work is intended to complement the work of our police who work tirelessly to prevent, disrupt, respond to, and investigate youth crime,” he said.

Stolen car torched in Hervey Bay overnight

Hervey Bay Labor MP Adrian Tantari said:

“This help can include alternative education options, domestic and family violence support services, and housing and health services.

“That’s why as a part of the parliamentary committee reviewing current Youth laws, I called for new laws this year giving police and the courts a wide range of tools to improve community safety.”

“The Hervey Bay community rightly expects serious repeat offenders to be accountable for the harm they cause,” Mr Tantari said.