Police numbers will be bolstered for Games events

A HIGHLY visible armed police presence will be active in Townsville during the city’s Commonwealth Games events.

Emergency services representatives met with people from Townsville City Council, defence, business operators and other community members to discuss preparations for the Games. Townsville will host preliminary rounds of the men’s and women’s basketball competitions from April 6- 11, will feature in the Queen’s Baton Relay, and have the major arts and culture drawcard of Festival 2018 from April 4- 15. Extra police will be in Townsville from Brisbane and other locations to assist in handling operations.

Assistant Commissioner, Intelligence, Counter- Terrorism and Major Events Command Peter Crawford said everything for the event was expected to run smoothly, but police and the community were prepared for all scenarios.

“There is no intelligence of any direct threat against the Games,” Mr Crawford said yesterday.

“We obviously need to stay alert to that and there’s a big role for the community to play in that.

“If people are concerned about any individual or any group who is going to cause any problem, be that a crime problem a protest problem or a terrorism problem – we’d like to know about that so we can prevent any of those issues from turning into some sort of incident.”

Mr Crawford said Com- monwealth Games events in Australia had historically attracted little offending but anyone who did behave inappropriately would be dealt with accordingly.

Townsville Police Chief Superintendent Kev Guteridge said local members would handle the majority of policing in the city during the Games but there would be extra resources available if required.