Camera call as crims smash glass doors
A SHERIDAN Street business owner is calling for the CitySafe CCTV System to be expanded after her shop was targeted in a brazen attack just two months after opening.
Courtney Pearce relocated Hairresistible from Bentley Park in early February.
After logging on to her CCTV footage on Sunday, she was disheartened to find her shop had been targeted by vandals who smashed through the front glass door.
But with her business on the cusp of the Cairns CBD security camera network, Ms Pearce said there weren’t any CCTV cameras in the area to capture the break-in or offenders.
She said, that in an effort to keep the area and community safer, it would be great to see more cameras installed across the city, not just in the CBD.
“We’ve got a camera but it wasn’t pointing in the right direction so we’re going to get more security installed and the security guys are going to start doing patrols and probably put a camera outside,” she said.
“We’re also looking at installing shutters because we work a lot of late nights and I want the girls to be safe.
“It’s just investing more money into it so we can catch these little buggers when they do stuff like this.”
Ms Pearce said, while it was lucky the offenders didn’t steal anything, the damage they left had cost her thousands.
“I’m just glad no one was in the salon as the glass shattered all the way to the back of the shop,” she said.
Cairns Regional Council planning and environment general manager Kelly Reaston said the council planned to install more security cameras across the city this year.
She said there were 258 cameras across the Cairns region, about 150 which were in the CBD.
“Council works closely with a QPS and other CBD stakeholder groups to regularly review the CitySafe security program,” she said.
“Expansion of the CCTV network for community safety is a focus of council with an emphasis on parks, play areas, facilities and community open space. Council has submitted a grant application under the Federal Government’s Safer Cities initiative to install more cameras in the CBD.
“The intersection of Sheridan and Aplin streets is part of that application.”
Ms Reaston said the council would continue to work with QPS to seek other locations.
Ms Pearce is appealing to anyone that may have witnessed the attack to come forward.
It’s believed it occurred between 1.14am and 6.30am on April 29.