Ask Val

Tuesday 22 November 2011

Dear Val

It seems that every other week we hear reports of violence in Grant and Macrossan Streets. Police are undermanned and Council have refused to install CCTV. What is going to be done to ensure the safety of visitors and residents, and will Council take responsibility for future incidents that happen while the area goes unmonitored?

From: Dennis Robertson, Port Douglas.

NOTE: This question has also been posed to Division 10 councillor, Julia Leu, and State Member for Cook, Jason O'Brien.

Response from Cairns Regional Council Mayor, Val Schier.

Public safety is first and foremost a police responsibility with Council providing support where we can and where it is cost effective to do so.

Council currently limits CCTV coverage to the Cairns CBD as this area has the highest traffic and number of incidents. We recognise that there are a number of trouble spots all over the region where violence is occurring however, installing and monitoring CCTV in these areas would come at a significant cost.

Council firmly believes that the best way to deal with violence is with increased policing; however, we can revisit the costs and make them publicly available.

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