Local police and Taskforce Guardian arrested 449 young people on 1269 charges for offences, including assault and bail breaches, in 21 operations since May.

The borderless taskforce, made up of detectives and Youth Justice workers, have been deployed to trouble spots including Mount Isa, Logan, Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton and Toowoomba.

The Queensland Police Service said in a statement, the taskforce’s latest deployment on Brisbane’s southside resulted in 13 young people arrested on 101 charges. The 12-day operation ends Friday.

A majority of arrests were for property crime and bail matters, including 19 counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, 37 counts of break and enter, 10 counts of bail breach and two counts robbery, the QPS said.

Deputy Commissioner of Regional Operations and Youth Crime Shane Chelepy said the Taskforce continued to provide immediate support in key areas across Queensland.

“The combined expertise of Taskforce Guardian with local police allows QPS to saturate hot spot areas and target recidivist offenders while also enabling engagement opportunities with Youth Workers when out on patrol,” Deputy Commissioner Chelepy said.

“I’m pleased with the positive results of the Taskforce to-date and I expect to see further outcomes as we continue rolling out various operations at locations across the state over the coming weeks.

“The QPS is committed to tackling youth crime from all angles to ensure we are keeping the community safe,” Mr Chelepy said in a statement.

Taskforce Guardian works with key local support services to engage at-risk youth with relevant programs, focusing on health, education, disability services and First Nations initiatives, the QPS said.

The borderless nature of Taskforce Guardian allows the dedicated team of police and youth justice workers to deploy any time, where support is needed most, the QPS said.