Where are our rapid police?

WHY is it that the Cairns community has to go kicking and screaming to the Queensland Government for funding while our southern counterpart Townsville gets a huge amount delivered on a plate?

Earlier this month we had to make big noises towards George St in Brisbane for $120 million dredging funding and a commitment to a $176 million convention centre extension.

Now we learn that Townsville is to get 20 extra Rapid Action Patrol police officers to boost frontline services “to prioritise the safety and security of our state through increased resources and infrastructure”.

Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said the Townsville RAP group was “all about using modern policing strategies to proactively target crime hot spots and respond to new and emerging crime trends across the city”.

But he was in Cairns just three months ago promising a RAP for the city as a priority.

He told the Cairns Post he wanted it established in Cairns “yesterday”, referring to March 13.

But yesterday he and Police Minister Mark Ryan announced Townsville would be getting 20 more RAP officers while the Cairns unit has not even seen the light of day.

Townsville’s RAP started a year ago with 25 officers and now gets another 20.

Why weren’t the 20 officers allocated to Cairns so the promised RAP unit could be up and running and start targeting property crime which is a significant issue and also highlighted by Mr Stewart during his visit in March?

This is another case of here we go again.