Sound off on security

‘Mosquito’ alarms seen to target homeless

BUSINESS owners in Cairns may be using sound-emitting devices to ward off loiterers and to prevent people from sleeping outside their premises.

“Mosquito devices” are alarms that emit a highpitched frequency to scare off people.

The use of such devices in the Cairns CBD have raised concerns that they’re driving off homeless people.

Anglicare North Queensland chief executive Ian Roberts said it was a difficult line to draw between protecting a business and the impact on social issues.

“It’s important to recognise there is a distinction between homelessness and public intoxication,” he said.

Currently, shops using the devices are in places where homeless people often gather, such as across from Munro Martin Parklands.

CQU Psychology lecturer Dr Adam Gerace likened the devices to “defensive architecture”, such as the use of spikes, or curved park benches to prevent people sleeping there.

“It’s a difficult situation because people and business owners shouldn’t fear their safety or damage to their property,” he said.

“However, there’s something about using aversive noises that seems particularly dehumanising.”

Dr Gerace said, if the goal was to send homeless people toward a shelter or somewhere they could seek aid, that would be positive, but merely warding them off with a passive device won’t solve the problem.

“We tend to make moral judgments about people’s situations, particularly stigmatised groups, asking whether they’re responsible for their situation,” he said.

The Cairns Chamber of Commerce is organising a task force to try and address homelessness in the city. President Nick Loukas said the use of mosquito devices was a sign business owners were getting frustrated with the problem.

“The goal is to try and rehabilitate people and get them back into society,” he said.

The task force will be finalised by the end of April.

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