LNP MP Dale Last accuses government of backflipping on Townsville police chopper

The Opposition is all for extra eyes in the sky to help police, but Dale Last says it should have happened years ago.

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll Premier Steven Miles and at the Townsville Local Disaster Co-ordination Centre. Picture: Evan Morgan

Shadow police minister Dale Last supports the use of a police helicopter over Townsville skies to observe young criminals, but said it should have been employed years ago.

And he said the state government had been “dragged kicking and screaming” to support the helicopter for political reasons when crime had worsened in recent weeks.

The LNP had pitched the helicopter for Townsville as part of two election campaigns but had been bluntly rejected during the Palaszczuk government.

But this week acting premier Steven Miles said he had asked the police commissioner to make an application for the use of a police helicopter.

Mr Last said the helicopter would be useful and would provide an increased level of safety for Townsville police officers, who he said were “under the pump” and concerned about the behaviour of young criminals in the city.

Shadow Police Minister Dale Last supports the use of a police helicopter to target crime in Townsville, but believes it should have been used years ago. Picture: Chris Burns.

“I’ve never seen Townsville so angry, and they have a right to be angry, they have a right to be frustrated, and the have a right to demand answers from this government because they’re fed up,” he said.

Earlier this week in Townsville, Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said technology and development of the helicopter program had changed to justify its use.

“We actually started this piece of work within the South East which was probably in its infancy,” Commissioner Carroll said.

“We have gotten so much better at it, particularly as we’ve developed our rapid tire deflation device technology and how we interact with Polair.

“It is operating so well that we have gone to government to say, ‘can we have these assets up here as well?’”

New premier’s chopper request amid crime spike

Incoming Premier Steven Miles says he’s asked the police commissioner to urgently make a submission to bring in a dedicated crime-fighting helicopter for police in Townsville.

He, along with Treasurer Cameron Dick, visited the centre of police operations in Townsville with Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll on Wednesday.

The call came after years of the Townsville community campaigning for a police helicopter.

The state government has repeatedly said that the use of QGAir was sufficient, but Mr Miles said it was clear to him that a Polair helicopter was what police in Townsville needed now.

He said the proposal would be the first matter of business when the cabinet meets next week.

“We need it now,” Mr Miles said.

“So I’ve told the commissioner to find ways to do it as quickly as we can.

“That might mean moving a resource from elsewhere in the state until we can get a permanent option, but we know this is what Townsville police need now.”

In the last week, Townsville has been suffering as a group of serious offenders wreak havoc. Some have been arrested in the past few days.

As part of the tirade, a number of police vehicles have been damaged after youths in stolen cars rammed them.

Damaged police cars at Kirwan Police Station.

Commissioner Carroll said the level of crime that had plagued the city over the last 14 days hadn’t been seen before.

“Compared to the previous fortnight, the figures were almost doubled,” she said.

She believes they can do more to tackle crime in the city with aerial assets and is busily preparing a submission for a dedicated Polair helicopter for the city.

“I’ve already spoken to the deputy to source immediately what type of assets we have here or down in the southeast corner which we can deploy very, very quickly,” she said.

“I’m talking in a matter of weeks until we wait for the budget and we wait for a permanent fix.”

Townsville police first made a request for a Polair helicopter in 2016, but it was denied, with the offer to use the QGAir asset coming soon after.

In the past, the government has knocked back the idea saying it wasn’t “practical or cost-effective”.

Commissioner Carroll said the circumstances had changed over the years as Polair operations in the state’s southeast had evolved.

She said police were now able to respond with “agility, flexibility and quick time” and were operating “so well” that they had approached the government to bring in an asset for Townsville.

“We started this work in the southeast when it was in its infancy and have gotten so much better at it, particularly as we’ve developed our rapid tire deflation device technology and how we interact with Polair,” she said.

A polair helicopter. Picture David Clark

LNP Deputy Leader Jarrod Bleijie said this was the state government attempting to “rewrite history to protect their own jobs”.

“For nine years Labor has said “no” to a police helicopter in Townsville,” he said.

“The LNP has demanded a permanent police helicopter be based in Townsville at the last two elections and Labor not only refused to do it, they ridiculed the idea.”

Deputy Commissioner Shane Chelepy said a Polair would provide valuable situational awareness and support to crews on the ground.

“It allows us, when things get too dangerous, to be able to withdraw our vehicles,” he said.

“This stops them being rammed, stops our officers and members of the community from being injured. But we’re still maintaining overwatch of where those stolen vehicles and offenders are so we can apprehend them accordingly.”

He also addressed concerns about how the chopper would operate in Townsville’s crowded airspace.

“We have engaged with air services since the weekend, and we’re comfortable that we will be able to operate in that airspace,” he said.

In October, Clynton Hawks met with former Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and gave her a list of demands, which included the police helicopter.

Mr Miles will visit Cairns tomorrow to assess the damage of Cyclone Jasper.

The eye of the cyclone is expected to cross the coast between 5-6pm.

Originally published as LNP MP Dale Last accuses government of backflipping on Townsville police chopper