February 24, 2022
Queensland Police have announced the formation of a new taskforce, “Uniform Knot”, to co-ordinate responses to criminal street gangs in south-east Queensland.
Police have reported an increase in criminal activity by street gangs, including serious assaults, fraud, property and weapon offences, and public disturbances.
Taskforce Commander Detective Superintendent Brendan Smith said intervention and prevention strategies would form part of the taskforce’s focus, along with co-ordinating police responses to send officers where and when they were needed.
“The taskforce will be acting and building on existing intelligence, which shows the offending involves a small cohort that identify as part of criminal street gangs, who are from diverse backgrounds and range in age from early teens to mid-20s,” Det Supt Smith said.
“We know the underlying drivers of these crimes are complex including social disadvantage and disengagement. This cohort of youths are drawn together for various reasons and at times are involved in serious crimes. It is this behaviour we need to address collectively.
“Police and community partnerships are fundamental for societal crime prevention and fostering a conducive society which is why the taskforce is taking a co-ordinated and collaborative approach and considering a range of prevention and deterrent measures including for those at risk of joining these criminal street gangs, along with exit pathways for those wanting to leave.
“Some of the crimes we’re seeing are opportunistic crimes or inter-gang crimes, therefore the taskforce is committed to responding to this unacceptable and unsafe behaviour before it escalates any further.”
The taskforce will work with police districts, partner agencies, community organisations and leaders and members of the public to deter and respond to offending.
The taskforce includes representatives from the Brisbane, Southern and South-Eastern police regions, First Nations and Multicultural Affairs Unit and the Youth Justice Unit.
It defines a criminal street gang as any durable, street-oriented youth group, encompassing teenagers and young adults, whose involvement in illegal activity is part of its group identity.
