Ram raid part of crime spike
Police home in on ‘key offenders’ in bid to curb spike in crimes
TSG Tobacco Station and Cellarbrations general manager Lorena Malovini is left to pick up the pieces after a stolen vehicle rammed into the Redlynch shopping centre. Ms Malovini said the store was trashed with about $5000 worth of cigarettes stolen. Police reveal a peak in crime across Cairns is being led by a core group of key offenders.
A “PEAK” in crime across Cairns is being led by a core group of up to six key offenders who are inspiring others to commit offences and are causing a huge spike in car thefts and break-ins.
Police say they have the “high priority” offenders on their radar and are in a desperate bid to bring them to justice and bring offending in the city “down to more tolerable levels”.
The revelation comes after a co-ordinated ram raid attack on Redlynch Central shopping centre, which involved up to three vehicles – including a getaway car and a lookout – in a level of planned offending detectives said they had not seen in the city for some time.
Far North police detective Acting Insp Jason Smith said they had a “list” of key offenders who they believed were driving crime figures up, along with a seasonal spike in offending during summer.
“We’re concerned that the level of offending in Cairns is escalating and this has involved a bit more planning than we normally see,” he said.
“At any one time there are approximately six offenders in Cairns which we would be targeting, and looking at their movements and what possible connections they have to offences in the area.
“What we’re concerned about ... with any social group there are leaders and those leaders inspire those around them to do other things and within the criminal element those leaders inspire the people around them to commit offences.
“If we can take them out of the group then the other people don’t tend to offend at such a high level.”
At least three juveniles – two females and a male – were in the stolen car that crashed through the shopping centre just before 4am yesterday and last night they remained on the run.
The trio also forced their way inside TSG Tobacco Station and Cellarbrations bottle shop, stealing cigarettes and alcohol before fleeing in a nearby getaway car – also stolen – which was later found dumped in Brinsmead.
Several people were assisting police late yesterday.
TSG general manager Lorena Malovini said her store had also been “trashed” and at least $5000 worth of cigarettes stolen.
“It’s pretty devastating to see the mess,” she said.
“There’s just glass everywhere. It’s pretty shocking.”
She called for bollards to be set up outside the centre.