Additional police resources to be reinstated in Goondiwindi, QPS advises Council

The Queensland Police Service (QPS) has confirmed that additional crime-related resources will be reinstated in Goondiwindi at the end of this week, Mayor of the Goondiwindi Region the Honourable Cr Lawrence Springborg AM said today.

Cr Springborg is also writing to the Queensland Minister for Police and Corrective Services Mark Ryan MP to request the allocation of additional resources as a permanent solution for Goondiwindi.

“The QPS had originally committed additional district police resources to the town in May following Council’s advocacy,” the Mayor said. “However, in light of the re-emerging spate of offences, Council was advised this morning that those resources were removed about two weeks ago.

“I think this makes it very clear that what we’re experiencing is primarily opportunistic, juvenile, property-related crime,” he said. “This has been an accidental case study about how effective those resources were – and it shows that they made a big difference to suppressing crime and keeping our local community safe whilst they were in place.

“I think reinstating those resources is absolutely the right outcome, and we are very grateful that they will once again be provided to the Goondiwindi community.

“Now we know what works, let’s work towards a permanent solution. Ultimately, crime and the courts system sit under the power of the state, but I look forward to a proactive discussion about the permanent allocation of prime police resources to our border area.”

Cr Springborg also confirmed that the first meeting of the new Border Towns Crime Prevention Committee will be held next Wednesday, 14 July.

Council moved to establish the committee in May with the aim of facilitating actions to improve antisocial behaviour in Goondiwindi and neighbouring areas on the Queensland – New South Wales border in the long term. The committee includes representatives from multiple organisations that have an interest in the issue locally, including the QPS, the New South Wales Police Force and the Goondiwindi Chamber of Commerce.

Cr Springborg has also met personally with the Deputy Premier the Honourable Steven Miles to discuss the appointment of a ‘Cross-border Commissioner’ for Queensland, based on the success of an existing model between Victoria-New South Wales.

“It’s extremely disappointing that such a small number of individuals are taking up so much police resourcing and impacting our community,” the Mayor said today. “It’s also enormously frustrating for our residents, not to mention our local Goondiwindi police, who have the full support and confidence of Council.”