The South Australian government is intensifying efforts to combat youth and gang-related violence by enhancing frontline policing. Commissioner Grant Stevens announced the formation of the Youth and Street Gangs Task Force, merging two ongoing operations and adding 13 new officers to ensure a constant presence. This initiative is supported by the recruitment of 20 police officers and 51 Police Security Officers, enabling existing officers to return to frontline duties.
In addition to tackling gang-related crime, the new officers will also focus on issues like shoplifting, financial fraud, cybercrime, and domestic violence, particularly in regional areas. Darren Paech, owner of The Highway Hotel, expressed concerns following recent violence against his staff, noting that many youths seem to act without fear of consequence.
The announcement coincided with the introduction of new laws in parliament aimed at giving police enhanced powers to conduct knife searches and prohibiting sales of knives to minors. However, the opposition has voiced that merely reallocating resources isn’t enough and that the police require more robust support to effectively fight crime. Shadow police minister Jack Batty emphasised the need for additional resources to adequately tackle crime challenges.