March 31, 2022
Cherbourg councillors were assured by senior police on Thursday that youth offending in the community had actually halved over the past few years.
Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll, Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Partnerships Director-General Clare O’Connor and senior police met with councillors at the Cherbourg Council Chambers.
Mayor Elvie Sandow said the meeting had been called to discuss law and order in the community, saying “the guys in blue have to start doing their job”.
However, Commissioner Carroll said that over the past three or four years, offending in the 10-14 and 15-19 age groups in Cherbourg had dropped dramatically “by 50 per cent”.
“The figures are just extraordinary. I get that there’s more to be done but please don’t be tough on yourselves or the partner agencies that we work with because what has been achieved is actually quite extraordinary,” she said.
“We need to be really, really proud of that. We also know that we’re not just dealing with just an overnight issue. There’s a lot of intense work that needs to be done over an extended period of time.”
But Commissioner Carroll’s optimistic tone was countered by the councillors.
Mayor Sandow shared her experience of calling police one night when she heard a woman screaming.
“Her partner was actually bashing her. I timed for the police to respond and it took 40 minutes,” the Mayor said.
“I wasn’t going to walk up the road because I was at home by myself. I wasn’t going to put myself in danger.”
The officers present said the reason for the delay in Murgon police responding to this incident would be looked into.
Cr Bronwyn Murray said there was another occasion when police were called five times to an incident in Broadway Street last year but had not attended; she alleged they later arrested someone they had seen on CCTV enter the house who was not involved in the actual situation.
Mayor Sandow emphasised that Cherbourg just wanted to be treated like every other town.
Cr Leighton Costello echoed the complaint, saying police ignored children riding unlicensed motorbikes around Cherbourg without helmets, whereas in Murgon they would be stopped immediately by police.
“They know in the community that they can get away with things; that’s is why they keep doing it,” he said.
“They know that they’re going to get a slap on the wrist. That’s why they do it.”
Cr Fred Cobbo said people were getting sick about what was happening and warned they may start taking the law into their own hands.
The Commissioner said police were only one part of the puzzle but she understood more work needed to be done.
She said the QPS would look at staffing issues, but staff were required everywhere, not just in Cherbourg.
Answering a suggestion that the Cherbourg Police Station be manned 24/7, the Commissioner said that would require another 15 more police officers.
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Other topics covered included:
- The need for more community-based Police Liaison Officers, but the QPS was struggling to find people willing to take on the roles
- Police were frustrated they were called to domestic violence incidents but complaints weren’t made that they could act upon. “We need the community to come forward and make complaints so we can do our jobs.”
- Improving the relationship between the community and police; there was a perception Cherbourg was treated differently, but Cherbourg police actually liked working in the community
- Expanding more Murgon PCYC programs into the Cherbourg Sports Complex; Cherbourg Council now has been given PCYC funding. Council was planning to hold more programs to keep the children occupied, including weekly movie nights
- Reluctance of some older men, who could be role models, to get Blue Cards because of irrelevant convictions 50 years ago, or just the long application process. “People self-select out or don’t want to expose their histories”. However, the Blue Card Unit does visit Cherbourg.
- A new program has been implemented at Palm Island which has replaced private security guards with sworn-in Protective Service Officers – part of the QPS – recruited from the local community. “Crime has dropped dramatically”.
- The possibility of getting Cherbourg and Murgon youth involved in a military cadet program
- “Case managing” the small number of repeat youth offenders had proven successful elsewhere
The Commissioner was accompanied on her visit to Cherbourg by Assistant Commissioner Mike Condon, Acting Inspector Don Baillie, Acting Inspector Scott Stahlhut and Acting Superintendent Danny Shaw.
