Enforcing a curfew on Townsville's young people could scatter them elsewhere rather than reduce the regional city's juvenile crime problem, a researcher says.

A report published in September on the impact of Australia's first youth curfew in the night-time precinct of Northbridge in Perth found it did not reduce crime.

Tim Nicholls announced an LNP government would introduce a youth curfew during a visit to Townsville on Thursday, Credit:Dave Hunt/AAP

Edith Cowan University youth work researcher Trudi Cooper said it was "political theatre" and police already had powers to remove people from the streets who were breaking the law.

"Curfews don't actually prevent crime, it just moves it," Dr Cooper said on Thursday.