Extra police sent from Brisbane to help tackle Cairns crime

More police from Brisbane have been sent to help Cairns cops who are “working at capacity” to fight crime, a senior officer has revealed.

EXTRA police resources have been sent from Brisbane to help tackle a Far North crime wave.

Cairns police acting Detective inspector Jason Chetham said on Thursday the state crime command contingent provided more resources in the field.

“It’s just an extra support to our staff here, who are working at capacity, it just gives us a bit more resources,” he said.

He reported for August 774 charges were laid with 75 juvenile offenders and 47 adults as part of Operation Dryandra.

Cairns police acting Detective inspector Jason Chetham said the state crime command contingent from Brisbane provided more resources in the field as police work to tackle property crime.

“What we have seen in August is the apprehension and remanded in custody of serious repeat offenders,” Det Insp Chetham said.

“What we find is when those offenders are remanded in custody, we do see a reduction in crime.”

“The property crime squad and tactical crime squad are working 24/7,” he said.

Act Det Insp Chetham said urging the public to take security measures, locking doors and storing car keys securely, was not “victim blaming”.

“We push the message of securing property not because we’re blaming victims – we just want to make it as hard as possible for offenders, and it does reduce offending, we know that offenders will walk away from secured premises and it’s hard for them to find car keys, they will go somewhere else,” he said.

“It’s just an ongoing effort from the whole community.”

Originally published as Extra police sent from Brisbane to help tackle Cairns crime