State’s policing plan not so rapid

THE State Government has stopped short of committing to launch a Rapid Action Patrol policing unit in Cairns, saying a $3.3 million building in the CBD was bought as part of “strategic long-term plans”.

More than 20 cars were stolen in Cairns over the long weekend alone as crime levels reached a disturbing high.

A spokeswoman for Police Minister Mark Ryan said the government was serious about tackling crime in Cairns by ensuring authorities had the infrastructure and resources to do their job effectively.

“This government is fully aware of recent crime spikes in Cairns and the Queensland Police are allocating their resources appropriately to target these areas and crimes,” she said.

“Cairns Police are constantly undertaking intelligence-driven patrols of crime hot spots across the city, with operational strategies including taskforce operations and the use of technology to obtain evidence necessary to identify and charge those who commit crimes.”

The LNP promised a Cairns RAP squad at the last election, but Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls said any renewed commitments would not be made until the election campaign began.

“As far back as November last year I called for a taskforce to help fix the problem and there’s still no action from Annastacia Palaszczuk to protect Cairns families,” he said.

“Our hardworking police need more support to keep Cairns families safe.”