‘Chroming, alcohol, destruction’: CBD tourist business targeted

The Police Minister and Police Commissioner have visited Cairns, local police chiefs have a prominent presence and officers are visiting businesses to talk about crime prevention – but the destruction in the CBD goes on.

SMASHED windows for the third time this year have a Lake St business owner in despair.

Erryn Wells of Adventure Cairns and Beyond got to work to find her store windows smashed – again.

“It costs $4000 to replace, and as soon as the last one went in, it was etched with keys, and tagging,” Ms Wells said.

“Crime has gotten way worse in the city – I don’t blame the police, the police are amazing, but (Premier) Annastacia (Palaszczuk) needs to step up and change the rules, now, so the police can round them up.”

Police Minister Mark Ryan and Commissioner Katarina Carroll visited Cairns this week and said anti-social behaviour was being targeted and police had spoken with more than 100 businesses as part of Operation Cairns Business Watch.

“It’s always the same individuals – chroming, alcohol, destruction,” Ms Wells said.

Adventure Cairns and Beyond owner Erryn "Ezzy" Wells is fed up with crime near her travel agency on Lake Street in the CBD. On Wednesday night she had a $4000 window smashed which she can't afford to replace, as Government imposed Covid restrictions and now vaccination mandates have severely impacted her business income. Picture: Brendan Radke.

“I have never gotten any restitution, make them pay back even $5 a week so there’s consequences for their actions, they keep doing it because there’s no consequences.”

She said Cairns Post coverage on crime in the CBD had prompted police to visit businesses to discuss security and they suggested CCTV cameras.

Ms Wells called on Cairns Regional Council to spend more money on CCTV cameras in business areas.

“I don’t have the money to buy a camera – council is putting in parking, but look how many car parks are empty, there’s no one in the CBD, people don’t come because of the crime, and they have to pay for carparking, which they don’t have to do in a shopping centre,” she said.

Cairns Regional Council raised more than $2.8m revenue from parking fines alone in 2020-21.

It has 487 CitySafe cameras including 220 in the CBD.

Ms Wells said she’d rung police at 10am but was left waiting.

“I don’t blame them, the police, but how far can you stretch them?” she said.

A smashed window at Adventure Cairns and Beyond on Lake St in Cairns CBD. Picture: Brendan Radke

She said businesses had been advised to call police if customers refused to use the Covid check-in QR code.

“But if I can’t get them for a smashed window, how the hell can they get here if someone is abusing me or threatening me because they don’t want to QR code in,” Ms Wells said.

“I’m worried about Cairns.”

A Cairns police spokesman said the job was deemed not urgent and the premises was covered heavily by CitySafe cameras.

He said an investigation involving police reviewing eight hours of footage was underway.

Prominent business people have called for greater police numbers, an increased street presence and a quicker response from police when called to an incident.

Queensland Police Union vice president Shane Prior said the union was calling on the Commissioner to release funds for overtime if enforcing Covid mandates became too overwhelming.

“Those selfish few who are difficult over vaccination at venues could be responsible for a delay for police to attend someone truly in need, because police are called to the venue location,” Mr Prior said.

Originally published as ‘Chroming, alcohol, destruction’: CBD tourist business targeted