SAFE NIGHT PRECINCTS DECISION TO HURT PUBLIC

TThe policies included no alcohol service between 3am and 6am … and it’s worked

HEY say if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. But if it was broken and it’s been fixed, why break it? That’s what the state government appears to be doing with the expiration of funding for the successful Safe Night Precincts program.

The initiative was introduced across the state in 2016 with an array of policies to crack down on drunken violence after the death of 18-year-old Cole Miller in a one-punch attack in Brisbane. The policies included no alcohol service between 3am and 6am, along with mandatory photo identification scanners. And it’s worked.

The government announced in

May that a review showed assaults between 3am and 6am on Fridays and Saturdays had dropped by 49 per cent.

From June 30, the $2.5m funding for Safe Night Precinct patrols will cease. Some of that cash paid for dedicated shifts of up to 10 Townsville police to monitor and react to behaviour in hotspots like Flinders St.

Townsville District acting chief superintendent Chris Lawson said other officers would cover potential night flare-up zones. “We will make sure people are kept safe with other resources … our presence there won’t be decreasing,” he said.

But, as Opposition police spokesman Dale Last said, the cuts would endanger the wider community. “The axing of funding for Safe Night Precincts in the state budget means there will be less first response officers available when you dial triple-0,” he said. “What this means is that when police are required in the Safe Night Precinct, they will be taken away from responding to your car being stolen or someone breaking into your house.”