Extra police are being brought in to help fight youth crime and anti-social behaviour on the Sunshine Coast.
Operation Xray Sorcerer started last Saturday and will cover the September school holidays and then lead into the Christmas school holidays.
Police from the Tactical Crime Squad, Child Protection Investigation Unit, Criminal Investigation Branch and local officers will work together to prevent and disrupt anti-social behaviour and crime by young people.
Several disruption and prevention strategies will be executed, targeting 11 to 17-year-olds in public places, including high visibility patrols, wanding for weapons and bail compliance inspections.
Apart from enforcement, the operation will prioritise engagement with children alongside the Sunshine Coast Youth Co-Responder Team (YCRT).
The YCRT engage with young people who come into contact with the criminal justice system or are at risk of doing so.
The team may be involved in proactively de-escalating and problem solving where groups congregate, transporting young people to safety, connecting young people and their caregiver with support services, and exploring diversionary pathways.
Detective Inspector Chris Toohey said engagement with the YCRT will be a key aspect of this proactive and targeted work.
“It’s important that we surround young people who are at risk of coming into contact with the criminal justice system, and their friends and family, with support and the tools they need to stay on the right path,” Detective Inspector Toohey said.
“We’re asking parents to work alongside us in preventing and disrupting anti-social behaviour and offending.
“Particularly during the school holidays, I urge you to be aware of where your children are, who they are with, and what items they have with them.
“We want to work together with parents and the YCRT to ensure our children are safe and directed away from any criminal offending.
“Though we haven’t seen a notable increase in youth crime on the Sunshine Coast, we know that young people tend to gather in groups in public places during the school holidays, which can lead to anti-social behaviour.
“We want to ensure that both our young people and the wider community are safe, and feel safe,” Detective Inspector Toohey said.
