- The Crisafulli Government has expanded Youth Co-Responder Teams across all 15 Police Districts to make Queensland safer, enforce bail compliance and target repeat youth offenders.
- The police and youth justice cross-function teams have added child safety officers and will now incorporate school support officers.
- The strengthened teams are cracking down on repeat young offenders to reduce offending and deliver critical early intervention support to make Queensland safer.
- The Crisafulli Government is restoring safety where you live with stronger laws, more police, early intervention and rehabilitation.
The Crisafulli Government has bolstered its Youth Co-Responder Teams with School Support and Child Safety Officers to strengthen the capability of this joint initiative and turn the tide on Labor's Youth Crime Crisis.
The teams - a joint initiative between the Queensland Police Service and Department of Youth Justice and Victim Support - have also been made permanent, after the Crisafulli Government delivered a $153.67 million investment, as they were only funded as a short-term measure under the former Labor Government.
The Youth Co-Responder Teams – which will now operate across all 15 police districts – are a critical crime prevention measure for at-risk youth and their families to ensure they comply with their bail conditions, reduce reoffending and re-engage in education and the community.
The integration of school support and child safety officers will strengthen information sharing between the Queensland Police Service, Department of Youth Justice and Victim Support and Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety.
Child safety officers will bolster Youth Co-Responder Teams in Cairns, Caboolture and Logan.
It comes after a Queensland-first Census – which was ordered by the Crisafulli Government – into self-placing children found that 51 of the 772 children missing were young offenders out on bail and 27 of the children absent or missing were under 12.
This decisive action comes as Labor voted against stronger youth crime laws in Parliament this week, opposing the Crisafulli Government's latest tranche of Adult Crime, Adult Time reforms which is making Queensland safer.
Every decision the Crisafulli Government makes is about delivering stronger laws, unlike Steven Miles and Labor who plan to raise the age of criminal responsibility and wind back Adult Crime, Adult Time.
The strengthening of the Youth Co-Responder Teams is one of the ways the Crisafulli Government is restoring safety where you live, after the former Labor Government weakened youth crime laws that saw victim numbers rise 193 per cent.
Strong laws, more police and a record early intervention and rehabilitation investment is already delivering early results with victim numbers down 7.2 per cent in 2025, compared with the previous year.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services Dan Purdie said the Crisafulli Government was making Queensland safer by bolstering Youth Co-Responder Teams across the state.
"The Crisafulli Government is making Queensland safer and turning the tide on Labor's Youth Crime Crisis by bolstering these critical Youth Co-Responder Teams with School Support and Child Safety Officers," Minister Purdie said.
"These strengthened teams deliver critical early intervention for at-risk youth to deter them from a life of crime – a generation of serious repeat offenders that exploded during Labor's decade of decline."
Minister for Youth Justice and Victim Support and Minister for Corrective Services Laura Gerber said the new, strengthened Co-Responder Teams were critical to restoring safety to communities.
"This is about breaking the cycle of repeat offending that Labor allowed to spiral out of control and ensuring youth get the support and intervention needed to steer away from a life of crime," Minister Gerber said.
"These teams not only target serious repeat offenders causing the most harm in our communities but, they also deliver critical early intervention to stop crime before it starts.
"Unlike Labor who voted against Adult Crime, Adult Time and wants to raise the age of criminal responsibility, we won't stop strengthening our laws and resources to reduce victims of crime."
Minister for Child Safety Amanda Camm said the Co-Responders played a critical role and the addition of Child Safety Officers in three pilot locations was critical in ensuring young people in the state's care are safe.
"The Crisafulli Government ordered the first review in Queensland's history into self-placing kids in the state's care, which uncovered a shocking number of children were missing," Minister Camm said.
"The former Labor Government did not care and had no plan for kids in the out-of-home care system, putting our state's most vulnerable children at risk.
"The Child Safety Officers will conduct risk assessments on children in care, analyse child protection information on the ground and assist in returning children to their placements to ensure their safety and community safety."
Deputy Commissioner Cheryl Scanlon said the Youth Co-Responder Teams provide crucial early intervention and support to disengaged and at-risk youth.
"These collaborative teams do critical work, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the community to steer these disengaged youth away from the youth justice system," Deputy Commissioner Scanlon said.
"Expanding this capability and continuing to work closely with Youth Justice workers, allows us to foster positive relationships, build trust and ultimately help disrupt anti-social behaviour.
"This ensures we can deliver a more holistic approach to youth engagement, creating lasting change for individuals and safer communities for everyone."
