Cairns city cafe The Chambers targeted by vandals

Windows have been destroyed and the inside of a landmark Cairns city cafe trashed, with break and enter offences escalating in recent weeks amid claims of a “broken” youth justice system.

Windows have been destroyed and the inside of a landmark CBD cafe has been trashed overnight in yet another smash-style raid.

At about 8.45pm on Thursday night The Chambers at the corner of Spence and Lake streets was allegedly targeted in a destructive frenzy.

Cafe proprietor Leith Rae rushed to the historic building to sweep floors covered in broken glass, while an after hours glazier replaced windows ahead of the cafe opening for business as usual on Friday morning.

Ms Rae worked until 4am to get the cafe ready for customers and was assisted by an on-call council employee who helped sweep up.

“There was glass everywhere,” she said.

There has been an escalation in the frequency of break-ins and smash-and-grab style attacks against businesses around Cairns in recent weeks.

Inside offenders smashed more glass panels. Picture: Supplied

“It’s really crazy because I sent an email to the team (on Thursday) after the Edge Hill break-ins and said ‘hey guys let’s be extra vigilant, no cash on the premise, make sure the alarm is on and double check the locks’.”

Ms Rae alleged a 17-year-old boy in a fit of rage threw a chair through the window of the Lake St entrance and once inside smashed two more windows and threw items around before leaving empty-handed.

“It’s just crazy but they didn’t take anything,” she said.

“But it’s a massive expense, and it’s horrible, there is a whole breakdown in the juvi system, it’s just broken.

“The whole system needs to change, the police want to help and see the problem and can’t do anything because they are following the law.”

But Cairns MP Michael Healy, while sympathising with business owners, deflected blame away from the youth justice system.

“I’m enormously frustrated by this spate of juvenile crime and the senseless damage inflicted on our small business operators,” he said.

“Government can only do so much, where are the parents?

“Where is the accountability from the parents?

Mr Healy queried what children as young as 11 were doing on the streets at night.

“If it takes a village to raise a child where are the parents in this equation?

“It makes me angry. I see these shops smashed, but to what purpose?”

The vandal attack has left the cafe with a major damage bill but Ms Rae said she was determined to be open for business on Friday.

“If I don’t operate, they win,” she said.

Leith Rae from the Chambers helps clean up the CBD cafe after a break in on Thursday night. Picture: Supplied

Offenders smashed a front door window to gain access to the cafe. Picture: Supplied

“How do you budget for that as a small business, how do you factor youth crime into your budget.”

The frustrated business owner said police attending the scene on Thursday night were quick to respond and passers-by stopped to offer assistance.

“The community came together to help us restore the windows, (the tradie) from Cairns Glass and Glazing stayed until 3am,” she said.

Items were strewn across the floor of the Chambers's kitchen. Picture: Supplied

“That’s the silver lining from a horrible situation that should not be happening in the first place, it’s just insane.”

The latest break-in follows a series of break-ins and liquor thefts at Edge Hill, and the International Tennis Centre on Sheridan St, which had been broken into three times in the past week.

An alleged youth offender accused of the damage was arrested by police a short time after absconding from The Chambers.

Queensland Police Service stated a 17-year-old Bentley Park boy was charged with one count each of enter premises and commit indictable offence by break, enter premises with intent to commit indictable offence and wilful damage.

He is due to appear in Cairns Childrens Court on October 2.

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Originally published as Cairns city cafe The Chambers targeted by vandals