Operation Soteria is a high-profile strategy involving around 60 officers.

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Deputy Commissioner Paul Pisanos said that over the next three months, police will target offenders aged between 11 to 16 years of age and specifically focus on aggravated break, enter and steal offences, stealing motor vehicles and “post and boast” offences shared on social media.

“The operational arm of this operation will consist of high-visibility policing, targeting a defined cohort of hundreds of repeat offenders believed to be responsible for 90 percent of youth crime across regional NSW,” he said.

The new unit will target hotspots including Taree, Kempsey and Coffs Harbour.

The Camden Haven and Port Macquarie are frequently targeted by offenders travelling between these areas.

An extra 20 officers will supplement the unit in the form of surge operations each week, to bolster operational numbers to 80.

Polair and roaming response units will complement high visibility operations.

Police Commissioner Karen Webb said the fear of crime is having a significant impact in rural communities.

“Nobody deserves to be frightened in their own home and in regional NSW that has been the case, it has to stop,” she said.

Under Soteria, which is also underway in the state’s western region, command hubs will be established and investigators will use real-time intelligence to identify social media trends.

As part of the prevention arm of the operation, police will aim to identify and refer young offenders into programs such as YAMS (Youth Action Meetings) – a multi-agency forum designed to help at-risk young people from re-offending.

Other youth programs through the NSW Police Crime Prevention and Youth Command (CPYC) will be used.

“Part of this mission is to lock up the ring leaders and divert others away from a life of crime,” Deputy Commissioner Pisanos said.

Soteria will oversee Operation Regional Mongoose, which was established in September 2023 and has been arresting, on average, 13 young offenders every week.

Crisis meetings with social media platforms, and the E-Safety Commissioner will also be called to shut down the novelty of posting criminal activity.

“To be clear, posting and boasting criminal activity will not give young offenders notoriety; it will land them in custody.”

Since new “post and boast” legislation came into effect 12 months ago, 53 people have been charged – 27 of those were under the age of 16.

Operation Soteria will also work with community leaders to provide regular updates on progress to engage with victims of crime in impacted areas.

Member for Oxley Michael Kemp, called the operation “a hard-fought win for Kempsey and regional NSW communities that have been crying out for action on juvenile crime.

“This is the result of relentless advocacy from our community who said ‘enough is enough’,” he said.

“For the last 12 months, I’ve been fighting for stronger bail and sentencing laws, real accountability in diversionary programs, and shutting down the social media pages that glorify crime.

“I’ve held community meetings… and we brought the Regional Crime Inquiry to Kempsey, where the committee finally heard stories from victims.

“And just last month, 700 locals stood together in Kempsey for a major crime rally, demanding action.

“We need to make sure this operation delivers real results. The government must strengthen bail laws.

“If you reoffend while on bail, you shouldn’t get bail a second time. No more slaps on the wrist.”

Mr Kemp is hoping it will be a permanent police response.