15 fresh faces to join police
TOWNSVILLE will welcome an additional 15 firstyear constables to the region by the end of the year as the city’s top cop pushes for more officers on the streets.
Chief Superintendent Kev Guteridge said the Rapid Action Patrol unit ( RAP) would increase from 20 officers to 45 within the next 12 months as he looked to tweak policing in the city.
Yesterday, Police Minister Mark Ryan announced an additional 15 first- year constables would be deployed to Townsville by the end of the year but these officers would not necessarily go into the RAP.
In this year’s State Budget, it was announced the Townsville RAP would receive an additional 20 officers with politicians and senior police welcoming the promise of extra resources.
However, Chief Supt Guteridge will select 25 members to transition to the RAP from across Townsville’s existing policing operations, which will include the 15 new constables.
“There will be a combination of officers that have been given in addition to our existing strength,” Chief Supt Guteridge said.
“I have the right to support where those officers should and shouldn’t be placed.
“My priority in Townsville is not having those officers tied up at desks, it’s about having them out and mobile.
“RAP has been demonstrated to work very, very well and is doing a great job in terms of getting crime under control and having the freedom to follow up on offenders that we need to follow up on.”
Townsville received 15 additional officers in the 2015- 16 financial year, another 30 in September and most recently 10 first- year constables in June.
“Not only have we restored the cuts of the previous government but we are continuing to resource our police as we need to ensure they can provide community safety here in Townsville,” Mr Ryan said.
“Fifteen more first- year constables will be joining the ranks here in Townsville over the next few months … a great result for Townsville.”