New Police chopper to serve as ‘eyes in the sky’ for Cairns

A dedicated police helicopter will soon land in Cairns with the state government committing to buy the asset as part of its bid to reduce worrying crime rates in the Far North.

A dedicated police helicopter will soon land in Cairns with the state government committing to purchase the asset as part of its bid to reduce worrying crime rates in the Far North.

But the LNP has hit out, claiming Labor must implement tougher laws and put more “boots on the ground” in Cairns if it has any chance of curbing the growing number of youth offenders across Queensland.

Police choppers have proven “extraordinarily successful” in southeast Queensland and Townsville, with the Queensland Police Service (QPS) lobbying for similar operational capabilities in the Far North throughout this year.

Photo of Polair 2 helicopter at Queensland Police Oxley Academy, Wednesday, October 6, 2021 - Picture: Richard Walker

A Polair helicopter in Cairns will deliver advanced camera, thermal imaging and night vision capability and assist in tracking offenders, conducting surveillance and search and rescue missions, newly appointed top cop Steve Gollshewski said.

“Having a helicopter dedicated to policing operations will help protect both the Far North community and our police,” the police commissioner said.

“We are committed to keeping our community safe while ensuring they feel safe as well.

“Bolstering resources for police will help our frontline now and into the future as the organisation continues to grow.”

Premier Steven Miles said seeing Townsville’s in “eyes in the sky” effectively apprehend perpetrators since its introduction in December, convinced him to invest in a Cairns chopper.

“My first funding decision as Premier was to give Townsville’s cops the eye in the sky capability they asked for,” Mr Miles said.

“They told me it would help them track criminals quicker, to stop them before they go on to commit even more offences. It’s had incredible success in its first few months.

“Police and local members tell me Cairns would benefit from similar capabilities, off the back of record growth in the region. Which is why we have included them in the Community Safety Plan.

Premier Steven Miles in Townsville with the new Old Police Helicopter at Townsville Airport with camera surveillance operator, Jake Keir. Picture: Annette Dew

“It’s this strong action Queenslanders can expect from me and my government as we equip our police with the tools they need to ensure Queenslanders are safe and feel safe.”

But the opposition’s police spokesman, Dan Purdie said the Miles and Palaszczuk governments had failed to make Cairns safer by “watering down” the Youth Justice Act and not having enough police on the beat.

“You can’t just have a chopper without tougher laws and police on the ground,” Mr Purdie said.

“Crime has exploded across Queensland since 2015 when this government proudly watered down the laws.

“Since then, police have been leaving in droves and crime has been going up … they’ve been fighting a youth crime crisis with both hands tied behind their back.”

A new report by the Queensland Government Statistician’s Office revealed the number of young criminals increased by more than five per cent to 11,191 offenders in 2022-23 compared to the year before.

During that time, the state’s overall crime rate has leapt by more than 11 per cent with 11,089 offences committed per 100,000 people.

A government spokesman said the price of the helicopter couldn’t be revealed until after the tender process had been completed.

Originally published as New Police chopper to serve as ‘eyes in the sky’ for Cairns