{"id":315632,"date":"2022-03-31T20:15:27","date_gmt":"2022-03-31T10:15:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=315632"},"modified":"2022-04-01T21:29:53","modified_gmt":"2022-04-01T11:29:53","slug":"council-puts-spotlight-on-police","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2022\/03\/31\/council-puts-spotlight-on-police\/","title":{"rendered":"Council Puts Spotlight On Police"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Partnerships Director-General Clare O’Connor, Mayor Elvie Sandow, Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll and Cr Bronwyn Murray at Cherbourg on Thursday morning<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

March 31, 2022<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cherbourg councillors were assured by senior police on Thursday that youth offending in the community had actually halved over the past few years.<\/p>\n

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll,\u00a0Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Partnerships Director-General Clare O’Connor and senior police met with councillors at the Cherbourg Council Chambers.<\/p>\n

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”.<\/p>\n

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”.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

But Commissioner Carroll’s optimistic tone was countered by the councillors.<\/p>\n

Mayor Sandow shared her experience of calling police one night when she heard a woman screaming.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Her partner was actually bashing her. I timed for the police to respond and it took 40 minutes,” the Mayor said.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

The officers present said the reason for the delay in Murgon police responding to this incident would be looked into.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Mayor Sandow emphasised that Cherbourg just wanted to be treated like every other town.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

“They know in the community that they can get away with things; that’s is why they keep doing it,” he said.<\/p>\n

“They know that they’re going to get a slap on the wrist. That’s why they do it.”<\/p>\n

Cr Fred Cobbo said people were getting sick about what was happening and warned they may start taking the law into their own hands.<\/p>\n

The Commissioner said police were only one part of the puzzle but she understood more work needed to be done.<\/p>\n

She said the QPS would look at staffing issues, but staff were required everywhere, not just in Cherbourg.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Answering a suggestion that the Cherbourg Police Station be manned 24\/7, the Commissioner said that would require another 15 more police officers.<\/p>\n

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Other topics covered included:<\/strong><\/p>\n