Following the public hearing in Cairns recently on the Lock-out laws I cannot believe the statement made one of the "Street Chaplains" Esther Knight when she stated in the Cairns Post on January 22, 2016 that "Cairns is a very safe city". "there are lots and lots of cameras - safety is not a problem with us" REALLY Esther, where have you been hiding.Cairns has always had crime problems and really nothing has changed except it appears to be getting worse.
At one stage the CBD had quiet periods but then the crime problem spread to the suburbs and has become a headache for the residents and police.
What about the tourists who have been assaulted, beaten and robbed most of that has been in the CBD.
Cairns being a major tourist Regional City needs to come to grips that crime is rampant and our so-called leaders need to step up and take action on how to kerb the rise in crime.
The council has put in place cameras in the CBD but that won't stop the crime it only aids in getting police or security to the area and by the time they arrive it's all over red rover.
Somebody lays injured, in some cases serious injury.Then in the same paper we have common sense statements by two high ranking officers Acting Chief Superintendent Rhys Newton and Acting Inspector Gary Hunter.
Chief Superintendent stated that "violence is higher in Cairns than in other parts of the State - sometime twice as bad".
Residents all ready know how bad crime is in Cairns and the comment from the Acting Chief Superintendent goes to support what has been said all along.
The other problem that creates violence is drugs and again it has already been stated in the past years that Cairns has a high drug problems.Again this has been supported by Acting Inspector Gary Hunter who stated that "the big challenge for us is the increased use of dangerous drugs".
The police are doing their best to overcome the drug problem and supply but everytime they close down one lab another one or two spring up so it's a no win situation for the police.
The Jack General Manager John Lynch suggested that "the government and magistrates to get heavy with the people who do the wrong thing".Well John that has been suggested many times but the Government of the day or opposition appear to be too frightened to stand up to the judiciary and that's where the problem lies.
Governments need to pass laws that give a "minimum and maximum" sentence and not allow magistrates and judges to impose a 12 month sentence then release the offenders on probation, that achieves nothing and defeats the purpose of charging offenders because they know that they will get a mere slap on the wrist.
Will the "lockout laws" be a winner we will just have to wait and see but there is one thing for sure the tourists whereever they come from need to feel safe here or Cairns can say goodbye to it's tourist industry.
