Police patrols and mobile police facility to make Cairns CBD safe

As crime and anti-social behaviour in the Cairns CBD are increasing, Cairns police beef-up measures to ensure public safety. FIND OUT THEIR NEW STRATEGIES

Ramping up their effort to reduce crime across the Cairns CBD, police are responding with a more agile and flexible approach to ensure public safety.

According to Cairns City Police Beat Officer in Charge, Senior Sergeant Gary Hunter, his teams are fully committed to keeping the CBD safe.

Snr Sgt Hunter said increasing police patrols, deploying more plain clothes officers and a mobile police station are the new measures implemented by the police in fighting and preventing crime in the city.

He said this involved a range of strategies, including “ramping up of foot patrols.”

“There’s been a spike in crime and anti-social behaviour in the Cairns CBD, so we are employing a diverse range of high visibility assets and regular proactive patrols throughout Cairns and the Safe Night Precinct, with the purpose of preventing and disrupting crime,” he said.

“For example between 4am and 6am we have eight police working a sweep of the city.”

While Snr Sgt Hunter would not be drawn on the exact number of police on patrol, he did confirm Cairns has more officers on the beat.

Queensland Police Services' Mobile Police Facility is deployed in the Cairns CBD as part of heir crime prevention strategy. Picture: QPS

“We have stepped up our morning patrols and are focused on cleaning up the city,” he said.

“During the day our numbers are increased and the public will see a lot more police in uniform walking around and we also have a number of plain-clothed officers.

“Numbers have increased from what we have had in the past and we want people to feel comfortable using the CBD space.”

Snr Sgt Hunter said one of the tools to help them fight and prevent crime was their Mobile Police Facility.

“The deployment of the Mobile Police Beat has received a lot of compliments from Cairns CBD business owners,” he said.

“This is one tool we use to fight crime, it’s a modern, agile policing solution which can be swiftly deployed wherever we need to in the community to address youth crime, anti-social behaviour and drug misuse.”

Rowe Design manager Markia Lindholm said she notice more uniformed officers walking past the jewellery business which is located on the corner of Grafton and Shields streets.

“I have definitely noticed more police walking past,” she said.

“Over the past couple of days there has definitely been a more visible police presence in the CBD.”

Originally published as Police patrols and mobile police facility to make Cairns CBD safe