Earlville a hotspot for trouble

BASED in the heart of one of Cairns’ worst crime hotspots the manager of Nutrition Warehouse on Mulgrave Road has seen it all.

From violence, chroming and vandalism Cyril Berjot had come to accept smashed shopfront windows, graffiti and dealing with drunks as a normal part of his daily routine.

He said the problem had tapered off as Cairns emerged from COVID-19 lockdowns but in January and February the situation was at its worst.

“They would be drunk and laying down on the floor (or) yelling at random, walking around and abusing whoever was in the area,” he said.

“But the young kids are the biggest issue because they are the ones who smash windows during the night time.

“(The graffiti) definitely looks bad in general for this area, it tags us as a low economic social area and suddenly people avoid the area in general. We rely on car traffic because (pedestrians) don’t want to walk by the shop because they know it’s a bit of a dangerous place to be.”

Mr Berjot said he had been asked by police on multiple occasions to provide statements after people were bashed outside the shop. “It’s well-known in Cairns that Earlville is not the best area to be in,” he said.