Funding for police patrols in Safe Night Precinct pulled statewide
Dedicated police shifts keeping nightclub strips safe for partygoers will be scrapped by the state government, leaving officers furious and worried they will become even more stretched.
Townsville
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DEDICATED police shifts keeping nightclub strips safe for partygoers will be scrapped by the state government, leaving officers furious and worried they will become even more stretched.
The Townsville Bulletin can reveal Queensland Police overtime shifts to patrol the state’s Safe Night Precincts (SNP) on weekends will stop from June 30 as the state government pulls the $2.5 million funding.
Police sources say the cuts will leave general duties officers from already understaffed stations forced to pick up the slack, and stretch the workforce even further.
Opposition spokesman for Police Dale Last said the cuts will put the entire community at risk.
“The axing of funding for Safe Night Precincts in the state budget means there will be less first response officers available when you dial triple-0,” Mr Last said.
“What this means is that when police are required in the Safe Night Precinct, they will be taken away from responding to your car being stolen or someone breaking into your house.”
The Bulletin understands the funding covered 10 officers to work in the SNP area on Friday and Saturday nights, which in Townsville includes Flinders St, Palmer St, The Strand and the area around The Ville Resort and Casino.
Police set up a high-visibility van outside the nightclubs on Flinders St where they can quickly respond to drunken behaviour, assaults, and other incidents.
Townsville District Acting Chief Superintendent Chris Lawson said other officers will be pulled in to work at the SNP.
“For the last couple of years (the shifts) were funded by the state government … that funding is expiring,” Superintendent Lawson said.
“It’s not a surprise to us, it was never going to be an ongoing bucket of money.
“We will make sure people are kept safe with other resources … our presence there won’t be decreasing.”
Superintendent Lawson believes his officers can handle the load, but will bump up resources for big events or when more police are needed.
In 2016, a suite of policies for statewide SNPs were introduced to crack down on drunken violence following the death of 18-year-old Cole Miller in a one-punch attack.
These changes included not serving alcohol past 3am and mandatory ID scanners.
In May, the government released its review of these policies which stated there was a 49 per cent drop in assaults between 3am and 6am on Friday and Saturday nights.
The funding cut will come just weeks after this review was released.
Sources say the changes will mean less officers will be on the road working in their own beats, leaving stations down on staff.
Mr Last said cops were already under enough pressure.
“You cannot take 10 officers out of the Safe Night Precinct and still expect the same level of service,” he said.
“Policing numbers are already down in Townsville and this will place officer’s safety at risk when responding to incidents in the nightclub area.
“The cutting of the funding is yet another example of our police being stretched beyond breaking point. Here we have proof that, instead of more police, Labor is expecting the same number of police to do more work.”
Police Minister Mark Ryan said it was become a “business-as-usual” arrangement.
“The resourcing of police working in Safe Night Precincts has now transitioned from a temporary arrangement to a permanent business-as-usual arrangement,” Mr Ryan said.
“I have been assured by the Police Commissioner that police operations in SNPs will be maintained.
“The Palaszczuk Government emphasised its continued commitment to providing extra boots on the ground, including in the Townsville region, and the resources to back our world-class police with a record $3 billion budget.”
Originally published as Funding for police patrols in Safe Night Precinct pulled statewide
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