Police funding cut ire
Fears of trouble in city
ONE of Townsville’s top nightclub owners has slammed the state government for pulling funding for special police shifts to keep the city’s party scene safe.
Townsville’s Safe Night Precinct (SNP) president Colin Leake said he was disappointed to learn $2.5m in funding had been scrapped, saying he was worried about the flow on effects.
“None of this is positive. We are coming into the busiest part of the year,” Mr Leake said. “It is really not a good move.” His reaction comes after the Townsville Bulletin revealed funding for dedicated police shifts in all Queensland SNPS would stop from June 30.
The money covered the cost of 10 police officers to work in the SNP area on Friday and Saturday nights.
Mr Leake, co-owner of Molly Malone’s Irish Tavern and Otherwise Bar, said the cuts came at a terrible time with a stack of big events in the city, including Supercars, Cowboys home games and NAFA.
“The trouble is the last six months of the year are our biggest times of trade for us.
“A lot of people are coming into town for Christmas parties, and people who don’t usually come out are coming into the city.
“Police presence is very valuable for those big events.”
Townsville District Acting Chief Superintendent Chris Lawson said other officers will be pulled in to cover the shifts in the busy precinct, and it would not be left unmanned. Chief Superintendent Lawson also said more resources would be deployed when they were needed.
But Mr Leake was worried that will take police away from other important jobs.
“Our other concern for us is that we know police are needed in the suburbs. We don’t want to be taking away resources from jobs like domestic violence.”
According to Queensland Police data, almost 180 good order offences, 58 assault charges, 23 liquor offences and 34 drug charges were handed out in Flinders St East in the past six months.
For Palmer St, police recorded 17 drug charges, 11 assaults, two liquor offences and four good order offences.
Along Sir Leslie Thiess Drive and around The Ville Resort-casino, police recorded 22 good order offences, 11 drug charges, 12 assaults and four liquor offences.
Police Minister Mark Ryan said he had been assured that police operations in SNPS would be maintained.
“The resourcing of police working in Safe Night Precincts has now transitioned from a temporary arrangement to a permanent businessas-usual arrangement,” Mr Ryan said.
“The Palaszczuk government emphasised its continued commitment to providing extra boots on the ground, including in the Townsville region, and the resources to back our world-class police with a record $3bn budget.”