Police helicopter to take flight in Cairns
The Queensland Police Service will officially expanded its aerial capabilities, with a new helicopter to service the Cairns area starting next month.
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The Queensland Police Service will officially expand its aerial capabilities, with a new helicopter to service the Cairns area starting next month.
Meridian Helicopters has been appointed as the successful contractor ahead of the procurement of a permanent POLAIR resource for the Far Northern Region.
On board, a pilot, a police camera operator and police observer will work together to assist crews on the ground, Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said.
“The helicopter will be a great asset to operational policing across the Far North and will strengthen our efforts to keep the community and our police safe,” Commissioner Gollschewski said.
“Having an aerial capability to support officers on the ground will be a game-changer in the way we track offenders, search for missing people and gain situational awareness.”
Premier Steven Miles said the aerial equipment will enhance community safety, assisting police in tracking stolen vehicles, arresting offenders and locating missing persons.
“One of my first announcements as Premier was a police helicopter for Townsville – something we’ve seen have a major impact on community safety in the region,” Mr Miles said.
“We’ve already seen a promising reduction in youth offences across the first six months of the year, down 12 per cent in Far North Queensland compared to the same period in 2023.”
Currently, Cairns’ stolen car tally sits at 538 for the year, and at the current rate of 1.75 cars stolen per day, is on track to reach a total of 646 for 2024.
That figure is down on 2023’s total of 804, and well short of 2022’s total, which almost eclipsed 1300 vehicles.
But QPS data for the last quarter shows there were 934 unlawful entry offences logged in the Cairns local government area, up 5.1 per cent on the 842 offences reported in the preceding quarter.
The aircraft will feature a high-tech camera system with infrared, moving map and vehicle tracking to support law enforcement efforts, helping police effectively and efficiently respond to incidents and keep the community safe.
Tourism Minister and Member for Cairns Michael Healy said the added capability a police helicopter will provide will aid significantly in apprehending perpetrators.
“I have heard firsthand from police officers just how much difference a dedicated helicopter makes to police operations,” he said.
“To see that aerial police capability coming to Cairns is very gratifying.”
The additional aerial support will bolster Queensland’s POLAIR fleet, making it the largest aerial police capability in Australia.
The state-of-the-art helicopter will cover Cairns and Far North region.
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