Youth crime blitz: Cops nab 11k offenders on 17k charges

A high-visibility “boots on the ground” Queensland Police operation targeting young offenders has nailed 11,000 offenders in its first year of operation.

Patrick Billings

less than 2 min read

March 10, 2024 - 12:30AM

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Police & Courts

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A high-visibility “boots on the ground” Queensland Police operation has nailed 11,000 offenders in its first year of operation.

Operation Whiskey Unison was launched in March last year to prevent, disrupt, and investigate youth crime through community engagement and patrols at intelligence-driven hotspot locations.

In the past 12 months, Operation Whiskey Unison has resulted in a total of 11,023 people being arrested on 17,791 charges, including drug, weapons, traffic, property crime and bail offences.

Of the people arrested, 4,149 of them were juveniles, who are facing 7,551 charges.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Andrew Massingham said the extra “boots on the ground” as part of Operation Whiskey Unison had been integral to supporting our officers across the state.

“Our officers work tirelessly to deter youth crime and we are taking steps in the right direction, but we know this is just the beginning of what will be a long road of persistent efforts.

“We know high visibility is an important deterrent and it all counts towards ensuring the community feels safe.”

The operation has seen 160,406 proactive activities across the state including hotspot patrols, shopping centre and business walk-throughs, bail compliance checks, community engagements and service station drop-ins.

Premier Steven Miles said the figures showed high-visibility policing was working.

“Queenslanders must feel and be safe, wherever they are, and wherever they go,” he said.

“On the streets, in shopping centres, on public transport, in any public space.

Police Minister Mark Ryan said it had made a real difference in local communities by preventing and disrupting crime.

“It is incredible to see such high visibility and engagement come from this Operation, as it shows we are holding these offenders accountable for their actions,” he said.

“The engagement side of policing is just as important as enforcement, because we know intervention and rehabilitation for young offenders is crucial in breaking the cycle of crime and delivering long-term change.”