Cairns Regional Council set to launch ‘acceptable behaviour’ policy

Youths running amok, violence among those sleeping rough and alcohol-fuelled crime will be targeted in twin initiatives as Cairns Regional Council steps into the fray.

CAIRNS Regional Council (CRC) is ramping up its measures to kerb crime in the city with an acceptable behaviour policy set to be launched in coming months.

Cr Amy Eden said CRC would likely be only the second council nationwide to implement such a policy, which is expected to go before council next month.

And CRC is seeking $250,000 to fund two new ‘Youth Connectors’ to work with at risk young people in the Cairns CBD.

They would carry out street based engagement between 10pm and 3am Friday to Sunday to connect 10 to 17 year olds with specialist services, collaborating with police and youth services organisation, YETI.

Council is seeking a Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs Community Partnership Innovation grant for the workers.

“It’s about having boots on the ground, currently we have the youth outreach service until 10pm so the youth connectors would be on from 10am to 3am to provide that critical link,” Cr Eden said.

Adventure Cairns and Beyond owner Erryn "Ezzy" Wells is fed up with crime near her travel agency on Lake Street in the CBD. Picture: Brendan Radke

“A lot of crime in the CBD is opportunistic so it’s about having intervention, to deter and distract and get youth connected to services they need, steering them away from crime.

“It will act as a bit of a circuit breaker – police are there to do policing, outreach is on call and not out on the street, so we’re really bridging that gap,” Cr Eden said.

“Things aren’t working, residents and business owners are telling us this, we have got to do things differently.”

She said CRC analysed data from police and on average 46 per cent to 49 per cent of crime was connected with ‘rough sleepers’ and alcohol fuelled activity.

“So if we can redirect how we manage that, we remove 50 per cent of the issues in the CBD,” Cr Eden said.

“This is a proactive approach, not reactive,” she added.

Senior Executive Director from the Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs Michael Drane, acting Chief Superintendent Chris Hodgman and Youth Justice Taskforce Assistant Commissioner Cheryl Scanlon on the Cairns Esplanade. Picture: Brendan Radke

City traders have called for radical action to end alcohol-fulled crime and anti-social behaviour.

The 12 month youth connector pilot program has aims including increasing efficiencies and capacity of existing services in the Cairns CBD by value-adding real time intelligence on target locations and levels of risk, profile youths, including patterns of movement, and reducing levels of community fatigue and tensions in public spaces.

Several rallies have been held in recent months with victims of crime calling for action.

Originally published as Cairns Regional Council set to launch ‘acceptable behaviour’ policy