Cairns crime: ‘We are listening’: police act on CBD crime crisis

Businesses in the heart of the city are at boiling point over escalating crime but Cairns police say they’ve gotten the message and will take action to curb rampant crime in the CBD.

VISITORS to the city will see a ramped up police presence as Cairns Police chiefs say they’re acting on public exasperation over rampant crime in the CBD.

The crisis reached tipping point on November 30 when two Gold Coast women walking down Shields St at 10.30pm were allegedly physically attacked from behind, with their handbags grabbed.

Three 13-year-old girls and a 14-year-old girl were arrested and charged with robbery in company with violence.

Business owners in the CBD said they’d had a gutful of youth crime and anti-social behaviour from itinerants, including harassing customers.

With the Queensland border opening on Monday, Cairns police officers will be out in force in the CBD, targeting anti-social and criminal activity. Acting Chief Superintendent Chris Hodgman and Acting Inspector Gary Hunter of the Cairns City Patrol group in the Shields Street mall. Picture: Brendan Radke

Prominent business leaders called on the state government to boost police numbers in the Far North.

Cairns Chamber of Commerce spokesman Danny Betros said it was time to get rid of the troublemakers.

“There’s all sorts of drunks out there just looking for a fight, it can get pretty rough – people are concerned and we are entitled to be concerned,” Mr Betros said.

Police say they’ve listened and will act.

Acting Chief Superintendent Chris Hodgman said uniformed and plain clothes police would be throughout the CBD in coming weeks.

“We are doing all of this body of work, and it’s about listening to what people have got to say, I am grateful for the (Cairns Post) story, because that way we get to hear what’s going in the CBD, and sometimes we don’t get to hear it,” Superintendent Hodgman said.

“So that’s caused us to enhance our response and look at different ways of doing policing in the CBD.”

Police officers assist a heavily intoxicated man in the Shields Street Mall. Picture: Brendan Radke

He said meetings had been held with Acting Inspector Cairns City Patrol Group Gary Hunter and the district leadership team.

“We need to hear ideas about what the businesses in town need,” Superintendent Hodgman said.

He acknowledged the attack on two women was alarming.

“It is a terrible crime, and we got there fairly quickly and kids were arrested straight up around the corner, a fair old altercation went on – sometimes the public doesn’t know all the facts,” he said.

“We are doing a lot on the Esplanade with patrols and there’s some really good comments coming from business on our enhanced presence and the amenity down there.

“We have to change constantly because the young people and the rough sleepers change their habits as well, and we have to adapt.

“We should message a little bit better – we do come, our response times in the city are very reasonable, our clear up rate for anything in the city is very high.

“And sometimes if we don’t find the person there and then, we have the ability to go back through Citysafe CCTV and identify the person,” he added.

“Police are doing overtime in the CBD.”

Police officers assist paramedics with a heavily intoxicated man in the Shields Street Mall. The man was taken to the Lyons St Diversionary Centre. Picture: Brendan Radke

Commenting on reports some offenders had come from dry communities to the city, Superintendent Hodgman said it was complex.

“A lot of the people that are rough sleeping in town are from communities, but there are number of reasons why they come out of community, alcohol access might be one, it might be for medical treatment or to visit family, and they decide not to go home – there’s a lot of complex issues among all of the First Nations communities that might cause people to come here and then not go home,” he said.

Acting Inspector Cairns City Patrol group Gary Hunter said there were programs including Return to Country, the Co-Responder team on youth, and the On Country program where kids learned life skills at Mossman, aimed at crime prevention and diversion.

He said an action plan implemented by Cairns City Police Beat and the Cairns Anti-social and Public Space (CAPS) team, was addressing anti-social behaviours regarding itinerant people.

Drinking alcohol in public is an offence, Acting Inspector Gary Hunter, of the Cairns City Patrol Group, has reminded people. Picture: Brendan Radke

In March 2020, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk unveiled a five-point action plan on crime including tougher action on bail and an emphasis on police appealing court decisions to grant bail, a 24/7 police strike team involving youth justice workers for high risk offenders, culture-based rehabilitation for indigenous offenders through new On Country initiatives for Cairns, Townsville and Mt Isa, and $2m for community-based organisations.

A community-based crime action committee was rolled out in Cairns, which was also one of five spots statewide to trial a new police/youth justice worker partnership targeting high-risk offenders.

Originally published as Cairns crime: ‘We are listening’: police act on CBD crime crisis