Policing Young People in NSW: A study of the Suspect Targeting Management Plan

The New South Wales Police Force (NSW Police) Suspect Targeting Management Plan (STMP) seeks to prevent future offending by targeting repeat offenders and people police believe are likely to commit future crime. The STMP is both a police intelligence tool that uses risk assessment to identify suspects and a policing program that guides police interaction with individuals who are subject to the program.

This report focuses on how the STMP is applied to children and young people. The report documents how the STMP is used in relation to young people, young people’s experiences with the STMP and the impact that the STMP is having on young people’s interactions with police and criminal justice. This report also documents the impact of the STMP on policing practice and police application of the law.

Findings in this report are based on i) available quantitative data on program participants, ii) de-identified case studies drawn from interviews with lawyers, iii) publicly available guidance given to police on STMP operational procedures, and iv) analysis of case law and legislation.

The research has been limited by the lack of publicly available information on the STMP and the absence, to date, of scrutiny and oversight of the program. By adopting a mixed methods approach, the report is able to make robust preliminary findings and identify areas for further investigation.