Cairns residents reveal how they protect themselves in their own home

Cairns residents are sleeping with knives in their bed, wasp spray in their drawers and weapons under their pillows as terrified community members resort to extreme measures to feel safe in their home. TAKE OUR SURVEY

Alleged survivors of sexual assault and victims of crime have revealed the extreme lengths they have resorted to to feel safe in their own home. Picture: Brendan Radke

Cairns residents are sleeping with knives in their bed, wasp spray in their drawers and weapons under their pillows as terrified community members resort to extreme measures to feel safe in their home.

Rape survivors and victims of crime across Cairns revealed they had resorted to sleeping with weapons such as knives, wasp spray and air horns in their bed during a crime rally recently.

Analysis of internet searches following the alleged gang rape by teens in Manunda reveal mace, tasers and pepper spray boomedacross Queensland following the February 21 attack with Cairns leading the state in searches.

Google Trends measure “interest” levels for a particular topic by how often it is searched, this data is then scaled between 0 and 100, where 100 is the peak popularity for a term.

In the days following the alleged gang rape, Queensland’s interest in searches surrounding home security and self defence nearly topped the scale.

Cairns womanLiz Taylor said she started using wasp spray after her house was trashed in a home invasion in August 2023.

Liz Taylor addresses the crowd at the Rally for Justice protest, organised in response to the sickening crime of an alleged gang rape of a woman at knifepoint in her own home on Friday, February 21. About 500 people attended the rally on the Cairns Esplanade. Picture: Brendan Radke

“I got shot bolts in my front door, I got shot bolts in my front bedroom door. I have wasp spray and an air horn next to my bed and I have a dog,” Ms Taylor said.

“This is how I live. Every night I lock up every door and every louvre and every window in my house. I lock myself into my bed and then I can finally sleep because I know I am safe.

“I’ve walked around to all my neighbours and said if you hear my air horn come over and save me … I just don’t feel I should have to do that.”

Northern beaches resident John McPherson said after repeated home invasions in his area some of his neighbours had started to arm themselves.

“I have a mid-50s family friend who when her husband is away she sleeps with a knife on my street,” he said.

“I have a very close family friend’s daughter who locks herself in her room overnight because she’s scared.

“This is bull---- we don’t need to put up with this anymore.”

PHOTOS: Cairns crime rally on the Esplanade

VIEW GALLERY

Far North District Officer Chief Superintendent Kevin Fitzgibbon urged community members not to engage with intruders.

“Far North police will do everything in their power to reduce, deter and disrupt offending and seek justice for victims,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

“Everyone has the right to feel safe and be safe, and residents are urged to adopt some practical crime prevention and safety strategies, including locking doors and windows, keeping valuables out of sight, and installing sensor lights, CCTV cameras or alarms.

“To ensure community safety, members of the public are urged not to engage in methods of disrupting criminal activity or reprisal.”

The comments come after Cairns was named Queensland’s youth crime capital in December last year.

Recent Queensland Police Service data revealed that between January 1 and November 30 last year, 2080 breach of bail offences and more than 1000 cars were stolen by juveniles.

Originally published as Cairns residents reveal how they protect themselves in their own home