‘Crimes of violence’: Police Commissioner Grant Stevens reveals new task force against youth gangs

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens has announced a new youth and street gangs taskforce, as well as a major boost in numbers to combat DV incidents, shoplifting, and cybercrime.

Police are forming a super taskforce to combat “crimes of violence” committed by street youth gangs, as well as boosting frontline resources to curb domestic and family violence, retail theft and cybercrime.

Commissioner Grant Stevens said the new Youth and Street Gangs Task Force was in response to the evolving nature of youth criminality.

It would merge operations Meld and Mandrake – and have an extra 13 officers for its ranks.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens reveals the formation of a super task force to combat “crimes of violence” being committed by street youth gangs. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

Mr Stevens said it would be responsible for a range of activities, including responding to incidents, as well as preventive and rehabilitative work.

“Youth crime is not just about the criminality, but the recruitment of younger members, so the taskforce provides an opportunityto break this cycle,” Mr Stevens said.

“This permanent taskforce will disrupt and reduce the criminal activities of a target group of offenders, particularly focusing on crimes of violence that pose a significant risk to community safety.”

Also, dozens of officers are being redirected to a range of key frontline areas.

Nine officers will be allocated to the financial and cybercrime unit and eight added to the anti-shoplifting initiative Operation Measure.

Regional communities will also have another 13 officers ­assigned to the family and domestic violence investigation team and benefit from 14 new positions assigned to ­“volume crime” teams.

Dozens of police officers are being redirected to a range of key frontline areas. Picture NCA NewsWire / Emma Brasier.

Mr Stevens said many positions would be filled immediately.

“We are focusing resources in frontline areas and doing whatmatters most in areas that will have the most impact, the most benefit in ­responding to public concerns over safety and emerging crime trends,’’ he said.

“With the growing imbalance between our resources and demand, we will continue to look for opportunities to rationalise services to deliver similar frontline services...”

Police Minister Stephen Mullighan said the state government has put $82m to hire 189 Police Security Officers to replace sworn police in frontline areas.

“More than 70 sworn police officers are being allocated to policing areas where the community is most concerned, especially youth and street gangs, shoplifting and domestic violence,” Mr Mullighan said.

However, opposition community safety, police and correctional services spokesman Jack Batty called it “smoke and mirrors from Stephen Mullighan”.

“He’s shut down two existing task forces tackling youth crime and replaced it with one,” Mr Batty said.

“There is no new boost to police on the frontline because there are no new police.

“In fact, we have over 10 per cent less police per capita than we did five years ago.”

Originally published as ‘Crimes of violence’: Police Commissioner Grant Stevens reveals new task force against youth gangs