Townsville’s Rising Crime Shows LNP’S Impotence

Media Release.

 

Townsville’s rising crime rates and reduced police numbers prove the Newman Government’s tough talk is nothing more than empty boasts and hollow promises, says Bill Byrne, the Shadow Police Minister.

“People in Townsville have been hearing for two years how the LNP will cut crime but the bluster by local MPs like John Hathaway and Sam Cox has proved to be useless."

“All they have raised is community expectations with macho promises they can’t keep,” said Mr Byrne.

“Member for Mundingburra David Crisafulli has strutted around boasting about his party’s measures to tackle crime head-on, flood the streets with more officers, cut crime rates and make life for criminals more uncomfortable."

“But the figures show it’s all a sham. The Newman Government is all talk and no action.”

Mr Byrne said the Government had been forced to admit that vehicle theft in Townsville from 1 July to 12 September 2013 was considerably worse than for the same period in 2011, when Labor was in power.

“Queensland Police Service data on vehicle thefts available at http://www.police.qld.gov.au/forms/CrimeStatsDesktop.asp show a disturbing rise over the past three years. In the period from 1 July to 12 September there were 122 in 2011, 137 in 2012 and 171 this year."

“The crime rate is continuing to grow and there are fewer police on the streets to cope with an escalating workload."

“All the promises made to Townsville residents that the LNP would deliver more officers on the streets have proved to be false."

“Police Minister Jack Dempsey’s answer to my Question on notice reveals that on July 1 2012 there were 111 officers in the Townsville District. On 1 July 2013, despite all the boasts about additional police, there were 108."

“The approved police strength for the district is 115 and has not changed since the LNP came to power."

“It appears those officers are being worked too hard to cope as  at the end of August 20 of them from the District were on long-term sick leave."

“And there is still no sign of the boot camp that Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie promised would be a game changer for youth crime problems in Townsville."

“In fact Townsville will not have its own boot camp and the whole process of establishing this key election promise has been farcical throughout.”

Mr Byrne challenged the Townsville area’s LNP MPs to explain why they had so badly let down their constituents.

“Operation Amber, which targeted Townsville’s property crime by importing 20 additional officers from elsewhere for a brief period, was a welcome success, but sadly a temporary one."

“The city is now suffering escalating crime rates again and for all its macho pronouncements, the Newman Government is proving to be clueless and impotent,” he said.