Head of Queensland police taskforce says ‘keeping children in detention’ not the solution

George Marchesini says new group will focus on preventing youth offending and work to address underlying complex factors

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The head of a new Queensland police taskforce into youth crime says “keeping children in detention is not the end solution,” as a coalition of more than 50 experts and organisations urge social media companies to crack down on vigilante groups threatening teenagers.

Amid heated political debate and “tough on crime” pledges, the coalition, led by PeakCare Queensland, launched a campaign on Wednesday urging the government to get “smarter not tougher” on youth crime.

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