Townsville’s high-risk DV perpetrators to be targeted by new special team

High-risk domestic violence perpetrators will be closely monitored by a new integrated unit of DV specialists, police, housing and health staff being launched in Townsville today.

High-risk domestic violence perpetrators will be closely monitored by a new integrated unit of DV specialists, police, housing and health staff being launched in Townsville.

The new domestic violence high-risk team — which is the first of its kind for Townsville — will co-ordinate multi-agency teams, including the NQ Domestic Violence Resource Service, to provide safety responses for victims who are at high risk of “serious harm or lethality”.

It comes as the number of domestic violence breaches in Townsville continues to skyrocket, with 4550 breaches recorded last year, a 30 per cent increase from 2020.

Townsville Acting Chief Superintendent Chris Lawson said about half of all of their call outs were domestic violence related.

Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman announced the launch of a new domestic violence high-risk team for Townsville today. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman said establishing more high-risk DV teams across the state was a key recommendation in the Women’s Safety Justice Taskforce report.

North Queensland Domestic Violence Resource Service CEO Verity Bennett and Townsville Acting Chief Superintendent Chris Lawson. Picture: Shae Beplate.

She said about $2-3 million in funds had been earmarked to run the new DV team in Townsville over the next four years, with the number of full-time positions those funds would cover yet to be determined.

“What happens in other high-risk teams is that all of the agencies come together to meet regularly to share vital information about what is happening with victims and perpetrators,” she said.

“It’s really about making sure we have all the information we need to act early to keep women and children safe and also to hold perpetrators to account.

“Bringing together police, health, corrections and housing as well as our hardworking front line services is really a game changer to make sure we’re doing everything we can to save women’s lives.”

The announcement comes after the recent Hannah Clarke inquest recommended the state government urgently fund a 12-month trial of a specialist domestic violence police station in Logan, south of Brisbane, or Kirwan, in Townsville – where DV incidents are highest.

Minister Fentiman made assurances on Thursday the State Government will seriously consider those fresh recommendations, including those specifically targeting places like Townsville.

At Kirwan police station alone, Thuringowa MP Aaron Harper said some 1200 responses to family and domestic violence incidents are reported each year.

NQ Domestic Violence Resource Service CEO Verity Bennett said her organisation, which helps about 500 clients every month, has seen a “concerning increase” in the number of local DV cases with a higher severity of violence.

Originally published as Townsville’s high-risk DV perpetrators to be targeted by new special team