FNQ DRIVEN TO DESPAIR

Vehicle thefts reach grand total

CAIRNS has passed a grim crime milestone with more than 1000 cars stolen this year as police concede the level of juvenile offending has reached intolerable levels.

Eleven cars have been pinched in Cairns since Saturday, bumping the city’s tally to a shameful 1015 for the year as community tension and frustrations reach boiling point.

That’s an average of 3.6 cars stolen every single day.

Far North Acting Chief Superintendent Rhys Newton said the amount of crime being carried out on suburban streets was “completely unacceptable” as police vow to tackle the problem head-on.

It comes as a group of Cairns anti-crime advocates drove from Edmonton to Palm Cove on Tuesday in protest of the alarming crime scourge they say is “ruining this city”.

“One car stolen is too many and we are now on the cusp or over 1000, and that is completely unacceptable in the community,” Acting Sup Newton said.

“That level of offending is not going to be tolerated by the police service.

“Unfortunately a large percentage of that crime is levelled back to youth offending, which is a very complex area to deal with.

“If there was a simple solution it would already have been enacted upon.”

There were 10 homes reporting unlawful entry across the Cairns in the last 24 hours, with three cars stolen as a result of those break and enters.

Acting Sup Newton said two were because of “unlocked doors” but he said the community, on balance, had improved security measures around their properties.

He said adequate home security was vital.

“The opportunity has got to present for these criminals to carry out an offence, they are not sophisticated crooks,” he said. “They are motivated and they are opportunistic.

“This level of crime is very disappointing for the community, especially around youths involved in property crime, unlawful entry and unlawful use of motor vehicles.”

Meanwhile, Cairns police arrested seven teenagers on the long weekend on a variety of unlawful driving, property theft and related charges.

Officers from the Property Crime Squad charged a 16year-old Whitfield boy, a 15year-old Mooroobool boy and a 13-year-old Bentley Park boy who were all refused bail.

Police also charged a 13year-old Woree boy, a 14-yearold Earlville boy, who was refused bail, a 15-year-old Mooroobool boy who was refused bail and a 13-year-old Bentley Park boy.

All seven youths are scheduled to appear in the Cairns Childrens Court at a later date.