Shuffling our cops

COOMERA must have more police officers on the ground. This is beyond doubt.

Explosive population growth in the suburb has contributed to offences soaring from 11,000 in 2001 to 30,000 last year.

The northern Gold Coast has a higher rate of reported domestic violence incidents, is a fertile recruitment ground for criminal motorcycle gangs and is over-represented in high-profile crimes such as murder. Residents and local politicians have been crying out for more police resources for years.

So it’s about time top brass is at least considering reinforcing the thin blue line in the region.

However, this must not come at the expense of police levels in Surfers Paradise.

Like it or not, when most visitors think of the Gold Coast it is Surfers Paradise that comes to mind. It’s our highest-profile suburb.

That’s why a relatively minor crime in Surfers ends up on the state or national news while a similar incident at Nerang goes unreported.

Because of this, crime in Surfers or Broadbeach has the potential to have an out-sized impact on the tourism industry.

We saw this following the Broadbeach bikie brawl in 2013 which smashed the city’s reputation.

Since then police and the tourism industry have worked hard to restore faith in the Gold Coast as a safe place to visit.

So why endanger that hard-fought win by siphoning police out of Surfers?

Gold Coast Tourism has just launched its new marketing campaign and the Commonwealth Games are next year.

Lockout laws have just been scrapped and the State Government is hellbent on watering down tough anti-bikie laws.

Now is not the time for fewer police in an international destination that draws unsavoury characters just as it attracts families looking for fun and safe times.

Surely we don’t have to choose between protecting Surfers or Coomera. Senior police and the State Government must find a way to do both.