Cairns juvenile crime: New strategy unveiled to tackle serial youth offending

One of the Far North’s top cops has backed a new statewide push aimed at breaking the cycle of youth crime and delivering long-term change.

ONE of the Far North’s top cops has backed a new strategy to case manage every serious repeat youth offender in the region as part of a statewide push to de-escalate juvenile crime.

Detective Acting Inspector Kevin Goan said a plan to build on “intensive intervening and rehabilitating” of some of Cairns most high-risk serial offenders formed part of a multi-agency case management program in Queensland.

It is part of a youth justice task force that police have been operating for the past six month.

“This strategy will complement other aspects of what is being done to prevent youth crime across Cairns and the Far North,” Det Acting Insp Goan said.

Head of the Queensland Government's Youth Crime Taskforce Assistant Commissioner Cheryl Scanlon with Assistant Commissioner Brett Schafferius on a visit to Cairns. Picture: Brendan Radke

“It is focusing on the available services and will be driven locally in Cairns, to address some of the issues appearing in the lives of young offenders.

“By addressing those issues, through proper engagement and through different support programs, it is likely there will be a change in behaviours, including in criminal offending.”

It comes as juvenile crime across the Cairns CBD has been on a slight decline following the introduction of a number of police measures in the past six months, including regular patrols.

Assistant Commissioner Cheryl Scanlon said disrupting and then supporting young offenders through rehabilitation efforts was crucial in “breaking the cycle of crime” and delivering long-term change.

Far North police Detective Acting Inspector Kevin Goan. Picture: Bronwyn Farr

She said the next phase of the task force involved “rigorous case management of each of the children in the serious repeat offender cohort.”

“We know this group of young people have very complex social and family dysfunction which will require a more tailored approach to ensure the intervention is effective,” she said.

“Our holistic approach is to have all relevant government and non-government agencies involved in a timely and co-ordinated intervention strategy which can be sustained long term.”

The task force kicked off in February earlier this year, while reforms targeting serious repeat offenders commenced on April 30 as part of changes the youth justice task force.

Originally published as Cairns juvenile crime: New strategy unveiled to tackle serial youth offending