Hundreds of would-be partner killers are being targeted by specialist police in Logan.

The Courier-Mail can reveal Logan's DV-busting police team - the Domestic Family Violence and Vulnerable Persons Unit - has 190 high-risk DV offenders on their watch list, according to the latest figures.

It is understood some of the flagged offenders already have several protection orders out against them from different women and others may have the potential to become partner-killers like Hannah Clarke's estranged husband Rowan Baxter or Bandido bikie Lionel Patea - who is serving two life sentences, including one for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Tara Brown.

Head of unit, Detective Inspector Mark White, told The Courier-Mail high-risk respondents make it onto the watch-list for number of reasons that are not "proscriptive" or always related to a specific incident.

It is understood escalating violence, gang associations, breaches of protection orders and criminal history are all taken into account when flagging the dangerous offenders.

"High-risk can be anything from threats to actual harm," Det Insp White told The Courier-Mail.

"We look at it from a broad perspective and it's about the disruption and the prevention of these crimes.

"If we had an offender who was showing signs of escalated violence and risk, then we look at ways to prevent that."

He said flagged respondents do not always have to commit offences in a family setting to be considered high-risk DV offenders.

"It might be they might be at a nightclub and they have got into a fight to hit someone with a glass," Det Insp White said.

He said the unit, which began in January 2020, was using cutting-edge strategies to break down the scourge of domestic violence south of Brisbane, including encouraging offenders to engage in programs designed to "assist them to deal with some of the causes behind their behaviour".

But Det Insp White said the main priority of the unit was helping victims and "preventing a homicide".

"We've seen what's occurred in the past and we have to take an approach that if there are acts of serious violence, we have to act as that may lead to something more severe," he said.

Since January, police at the unit have charged 118 offenders with 810 offences including strangulation, stalking, threatening violence, serious assault, attempted arson and unlawful wounding.

They have made 83 referrals to support services and programs and conducted additional visits to high-risk homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

*For 24-hour domestic violence support call the national hotline 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or MensLine on 1800 600 636.

Originally published as Shocking number of would-be killers on cops' DV watch list