June 21, 2024
A police operation in the Murgon, Cherbourg and Toowoomba areas has resulted in 37 young people – and one adult – being arrested and charged with 75 offences.
The Taskforce Guardian deployment ran between June 7-14.
A simultaneous operation in the Ipswich district led to 26 young people charged on 62 offences and two adults on two offences between June 4-14.
A total of 41 young people across the two deployments were diverted from the youth justice system.
Detective Senior Sergeant Joe Nixon said Taskforce Guardian’s youth engagement efforts across Cherbourg and Murgon were the culmination of extensive collaboration with local stakeholders, community groups and Council.
“I would like to thank the Cherbourg and Murgon communities, along with stakeholders in Ipswich and Toowoomba, for working so closely with us,” Det Snr Sgt Nixon said.
“Community engagement is a priority for Taskforce Guardian, as we work to not just locate young offenders, but prevent future offending and ensure each individual child is given tailored support and referrals that give them the best chances of breaking the cycle.”
Taskforce Guardian involved specialist police investigators and youth justice workers working with local police.
A police spokesperson said that since Taskforce Guardian began in May last year, 1386 young people have been arrested on a total of 4392 offences and 568 young people have been diverted from the youth justice system.
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Raw video supplied by QPS of recent Taskforce Guardian interventions in the South Burnett:
