Queensland Police address rise in reported assaults in Cairns since June

Two particularly worrying crimes have spiked sharply across the Far North, with new data laying bare the region’s shameful rise in offences. FULL BREAKDOWN

ARMED robberies and violent attacks have spiked sharply across the Far North, with new data laying bare the region’s crime rise.

Official police statistics reveal the number of assaults in the Far North District has more than doubled each month since July 1, spiking from 280 in June to 590 in July and peaking at 606 in August.

There was 521 assaults recorded in September and 569 last month.

Police have downplayed the data and say changes to the way certain crimes – including assaults – are recorded has contributed to the rise.

A woman is led away by police after an alleged assault on Water Street in Cairns in July. Picture: Brendan Radke.

Acting Inspector of criminal investigations Mark Henderson said the jump in assault numbers could, in part, be attributed to changes to the way domestic violence crimes were being recorded.

“We fully expected this,” he said.

“The figures have almost doubled relating to anything associated with domestic violence.

“So assault, stealing, wilful damage, strangulation, and the reasons being we have changed the way we are recording these crimes.

“So while there are some big spikes, like in assaults, the actual number of incidents hasn’t really gone up as much as the numbers suggest.”

The yearly total assaults recorded across the Far North has steadily increased year-on-year over the past five years, with 2021 the worst with 3916 to date.

It has ballooned more than 156 per cent since 2017.

Cairns Regional Domestic Violence Services chief executive Sandra Keogh. Picture: Nuno Avendano

There has also been a 120 per cent average increase per month in serious assaults from January (109) to October (249).

Armed robbers have also terrorised the Far North, with incidents increasing twofold in the last five years – up from 31 total in 2017 to 66 between January and November 2021.

It comes as detectives continue their investigation into a brazen armed robbery at Bushman’s Pies on Friday morning, with charges yet to be laid.

Social service providers have backed up the statistics, with one domestic violence expert saying referrals had gone through the roof in 2021.

Cairns Regional Domestic Violence Services chief executive, Sandra Keogh, said recommendations from Queensland Police to her service had increased by 42 per cent this year.

“Certainly in the last 12 months we have seen a significant increase in the access of our service,” she said.

“So often we are trying to make contact with those people and engage them in our service.”

She said there had been a worrying spike in strangulation and assaults.

“People being strangled in their relationships, sexual violence and certainly levels of physical violence.”

“Those behaviours aren’t necessarily new, but they are becoming more identifiable as acts of domestic violence, and a criminal act.

“So something like nonlethal strangulation is now a criminal act under the legislation.”

Act Insp Mark Henderson.

The number of domestic violence order breaches has skyrocketed over the last half decade, with 4315 incidents already recorded this year – up 169 per cent since 2017 (2553).

Queensland Police commissioner Katarina Carroll said a decision to change how domestic crimes were recorded on July 1 meant police districts would likely see a statistical increase in the number of domestic violence related offences, including assaults, strangulations and wilful damage.

Act Insp Henderson said the number of call outs being made was still one of the major concerns for the city, but a specialist “high risk” domestic violence task-force was starting to have an impact.

“It’s early days but the wheel is turning,” he said.

“I believe that there is certainly a greater respect for the police in relation to domestic violence.

“In the Far North District we have taken the bull by the horns and are being proactive.

“We’ve set up a number of these groups and we are trying to use every available resource to make sure that the wellbeing of the victim is really well catered for.”

It comes as drug offences appear to be declining this year, despite hitting a five year top in 2020 (6005).

There were 3110 drug related crimes recorded between January and October this year.

The overall crime rate across the Far North had been steadily increasing until 2020, with Covid-19 lockdowns likely responsible for a dip in numbers.

“It ebbs and flows,” Act Insp Henderson said about the crime rate.

“Sadly, it relates quite a lot to the youth recidivism. When there is a lot of our recidivist youth on the street, then we do often see a spike in crime during that period.”

Cairns is the biggest crime hot spot in the wider region, given its large population base.

Follow @markcmuzza

Originally published as Queensland Police address rise in reported assaults in Cairns since June