Police to hit Townsville hotspots as part eight day Operation Whiskey Legion

Police have launched a major crackdown on high-risk crime areas in Townsville, including shopping precincts and transport hubs, as reinforcements fly up from down south to join an eight-day operation.

Police are launching a major crime crackdown in Townsville, focusing on high-risk areas, shopping precincts, and public transport hubs as part of Operation Whiskey Legion.

Over eight days, September 11 to 18, residents can expect a heavy police presence across the city as officers zero in on known crime hotspots.

Townsville District Officer Chief Superintendent Graeme Paine said the operation would bring a “significant” boost to local police numbers, with officers from Brisbane and South East Queensland also joining the effort.

“We’ve got officers from our Crime and Intel Command, that includes specialist investigators from areas such as homicide, child offending, fraud,” he said.

“We have other areas such as the public safety response team, we’ve got traffic police, we’ve got police from the railway squad.

“So we’ve got a number of different units that have come up that will work in a different capacity to really bring a new capability to the area.”

Police officers at Fairfield Central Shopping Centre as they begin Operation Whiskey Legion to saturate Townsville hotspots during 8-day deployment.

This deployment follows a similar operation in the Mount Isa district over the past two weeks. In addition to local officers, specialist units including Highway Patrol, Water Police, Dog Squad, and Crime Prevention are joining the Townsville operation.

Chief Superintendent Paine noted that this is the tenth deployment of Operation Whiskey Legion, which began in April.

Since its launch, the operation has seen 3,269 people charged with over 8,000 offences across Queensland.

“There’s been several thousands of victims that have been engaged by officers, just to check on their welfare to provide security information,” he said.

Superintendent Dean Cavanagh.

“There will be prevention and disruption focused operations, which will include everything from officers out engaging in the community, having that presence where the community can come up and ask questions.”

He said the officers involved volunteer to take part and said it was a great skills sharing opportunity.

Superintendent Dean Cavanagh said the operation won’t just be in the city, but will spread to the greater Townsville area. He noted that their were certain areas and individuals being targeted.

“As part of a policing response, there’s certain people that are causing harm in this community,” he said.

“We’ll prioritise those targets so there’s people that are wanted by police and we will put every available capability and resource into identifying, locating and arresting those offenders.”

Townsville LNP candidate Adam Baillie. Picture: Evan Morgan

LNP candidate for Townsville Adam Baillie said the party supported frontline staff, but urged more needed to be done.

“These police operations are crucial, but what happens when these police officers return home,” he said.

“The LNP will give our police the laws and resources they need to do their jobs and protect victims.”

Mr Baillie said current youth justice laws have created a generation of ‘untouchables’.

“This is why we need Adult Crime, Adult Time, if you choose to do the crime you will do the time regardless of your age,” he said.

“Queensland communities are sick of living in fear.”

The LNP has promised their Making Queensland Safer Laws will be laws by the end of the calendar year if elected in October.

“Our Adult Crime, Adult Time policy will restore consequences for actions with youth offenders held accountable for their crimes, with the ability to receive the same sentences as adults committing the same crimes,” Mr Baillie said.

Originally published as Police to hit Townsville hotspots as part eight day Operation Whiskey Legion