Cairns crime: Police say CBD crime decreasing despite frightening recent stabbings
Police have moved to allay safety fears in and around the Cairns CBD following a number of sickening attacks. DO YOU FEEL SAFE?
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CAIRNS police have moved to allay fears surrounding the safety of business owners and residents in and around the central business district following a number of shocking recent attacks.
The city is still shaking off the remnants of a sickening alleged murder at the Cairns Central shopping centre last month which brought nearby businesses and passers-by to a standstill.
It can be revealed that numerous employees within the centre have reported feeling unsafe before and after the grisly stabbing death, which saw 38-year-old Nicholas George Boak charged with the murder of Michael John Eaton as he sat inside the complex.
The 51-year-old father-of-five had his throat slit in what police described as a random and unprovoked attack.
Shop owners and workers heading to-and-from the busy shopping precinct say they have felt “uneasy” and “nervous” about a lack of security and police presence before opening hours, and when their businesses have closed.
Retail owner Debra Austin said she still feared walking to her car following the senseless slaying.
“I would feel more secure if there was a greater security presence for us when we need it,” she said.
“It’s not during the day that we need police or guards, but when no one is around.
“A lot of us get here early to open up and there is no one really here, and that murder happened before trading had even started.”
The incident followed another gruesome broad-daylight knife attack this year on a police officer at the shopping centre.
Sen-Constable Tim Liesegang, 50, was attempting to arrest Manunda man Jack Clarence Smith, 22, in February when he was allegedly stabbed in the stomach, chest and neck.
He suffered a collapsed lung and underwent major surgery following the attack.
Cairns City Beat Senior-Sergeant Gary Hunter said he could sympathise with the general public’s perceived safety concerns following both incidents, but said CBD crime was actually trending downwards.
“As shocking as it was, the recent Cairns Central incident was opportunistic and goes against the grain of the crime trends that we are seeing in and around the CBD,” he said.
“A police officer was stabbed there, and someone was killed there for no apparent reason so I can completely understand the public sentiment around safety.
“But the reality is crime is on the decrease in and around the shopping centre, and in the CBD as well, which is a really good thing.”
Another chain store manager, who did not want to be named, said the police presence was adequate during trading hours but lacking “when we need them.”
“It’s all well and good putting police here during the day, but we want them when we are opening and closing,” she said.
“At the moment, there is no one around when we need them.
“There is security, but it takes ages for them to come.
“And especially because the stabbing happened before we opened, I would like to see more presence before and after (trading hours).”
Cairns Central boss Christie-lee Jackson said the centre was working in partnership with police, stressing the complex had strict security procedures in place.
They included entrance and in-centre CCTV surveillance, seven day 24-hour security patrols and an on-site Police Beat.
“As always, the safety and wellbeing of our customers, retailers and staff remains our number one priority,” she said.
“We provide training to our staff, retailers and upgrade systems as required.
“We continue to work closely with the local police to ensure Cairns Central remains a safe place for everyone.”
Sen-Sgt Hunter said twice daily patrols around the Esplanade “to prevent and disrupt” using a council-owned golf buggy had proved hugely successful in preventing crime and anti-social behaviour.
“Instead of people having to call the police with issues and then us having to provide a response, we are actually in the space before we are required to attend,” he said.
“It’s proactive and has really worked.”
He said juvenile crime in the city was down, with the major concerns involving the homeless.
“We still have homeless members that consume alcohol, so public intoxication and anti-social behaviour is still a focus with city police,” he said.
“The very encouraging thing is we have seen a decline in juvenile crime and anti-social behaviour, and that is very encouraging.
“We now have far greater line of sight and CCTV vision in and around the Esplanade and Shields Street with the completion of landscaping and remodelling.”
The council has also recently remodified the landscaped section of the Shields St precinct (between Abbott and Lake streets).
Workers on the $250,000 project rectified a number of issues with the original design, including ripping out anti-social “hidey-holes”.
A Queensland police spokesman said additional police patrol the Cairns CBD on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights as part of a “safe night precinct” program.
The city’s network of security cameras – believed to be more than 300 – also assist officers in responding to real-time incidents within short time frames.
“The safety of all residents and visitors to Cairns city is of paramount importance to police who strive to ensure the CBD is safe for everyone to enjoy,” the spokesman said.
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Originally published as Cairns crime: Police say CBD crime decreasing despite frightening recent stabbings
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