Police up to job in managing the game

FROM a lost wallet to a terrorist attack, Townsville Police must prepare for every scenario possible on the night of a major event.

Townsville Acting Inspector Dean Cavanagh has given a rare insight into the logistics, the struggles and what exactly goes on behind the scenes when events like the Rugby Championship come to town.

Inspector Cavanagh said behind big events like this sat an “engine room” of people who helped run the show, and planning usually started months out from an event.

“We run three different control and command rooms for most major events at the Queensland Country Bank Stadium, which allows us to cater for any conceivable scenario,” he said.

An extensive network of cameras allows police to have eyes and ears everywhere at all times, while they also deploy drones, bomb technicians and intelligence officers, which go unnoticed by the crowds.

Inspector Cavanagh said more crews were brought in on the night of an event and paid for by the organiser.

“Our first response capability is not impacted by policing major events as the special services are additional resources rostered on.”

Inspector Cavanagh said hosting multiple events at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, like the State of Origin and NRL finals, made life easy for police.

“They are an exceptionally experienced team who understand the importance of balancing community safety with patron enjoyment.

“Good systems are essential at events. When you have 30,000 people converge on an area, it can sometimes look like mayhem, but with good systems in place, it can all be controlled.”

He said Covid-19 also added another layer of complexity to the events as plans would often change last minute.

“We understand that people are there to have fun and not be heavily policed, but we need to make sure we have every required capability ready to respond should the need arise.”