CBD businesses respond to news of extra police on the ground in Cairns after visit from top brass

Cairns business owners have mapped out exactly what is wrong with the CBD as police boost their ranks to fight an upsurge in crime.

CAIRNS CBD businesses owners have welcomed news of at least 150 additional police in the Cairns region over the next few years.

Peter Mooney, who owns Scubapix on Shield Street, said news of the extra policing muscle was good, but that addressing homelessness and roaming mobs of youths were more complicated issues.

He also said he was assaulted recently after he tried to move on a couple who had fallen asleep in the arcade where his store was located.

“There’s roaming youth in the holidays so it’s unsafe. I’m a pretty large fellow who can look after himself and I feel at times you know I’m certainly cautious when you see groups of roaming youth,” Mr Mooney said.

Police patrolling in the Cairns CBD. PICTURE: STEWART MCLEAN

Mr Mooney also pointed to a lack of public amenities in Shield St, which if rectified would help to prevent people urinating and defecating in public.

He also said another of the problems was with lighting.

“My problem is I’d like to be able to walk around the town safely and they could address that if the council turned the lights up, and made it brighter,” Mr Mooney said.

“(Police) on the ground is always an effective tool. It’s just how effectively they’re deployed.”

The Downunder Bar owner Harry Treklis said extra police was a “great idea”.

“We definitely need more police … so long as they’ve got them on the ground and not just driving around in their police cars,” he said.

Mr Treklis said the police had a presence in the CBD on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays – but that it would be better if it was every night of the week.

He said itinerants were an ongoing problem, but was not sure what the solution was.

Mr Treklis also said groups of youths were problematic – but that they came and went in waves.

Police Upgrades

Police in December said CBD traders would see a ramped up police presence and that officers were already doing “overtime” in the area.

Acting Inspector Cairns City Patrol group Gary Hunter at the time 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.

Police Minister Mark Ryan joined police commissioner Katarina Carroll in Cairns on Wednesday to announce the Cairns region is set to become home to at least another 150 police officers over the next few years, and provide an update on the Cairns police station’s $17m upgrade.

Originally published as CBD businesses respond to news of extra police on the ground in Cairns after visit from top brass