Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart will attend a community roundtable on Monday as part of the Mount Isa Action Plan to combat anti-social behaviour in the city.
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If you go down that list of people in attendance, no other community in Australia has been able to get that calibre of people.
- Tony McGrady
Commissioner Stewart will join other senior representatives from State and Federal Government departments at the Mount Isa meeting following an initial roundtable in September, which was called after the Pioneer Police Beat was burned down.
Monday’s meeting will form subcommittees to focus on government-provided services and ensure there is improved cooperation and collaboration between groups.
Mount Isa City Council Mayor Tony McGrady said it was an important stage of the action plan.
“What we’re going to do is set up a number of groups where we can look at the issues,” he said.
“We’ll be having Director-Generals of departments there, so you’re going to get solutions to it.
“If you go down the list of people in attendance, no other community in Australia has been able to get that calibre of people.”
Operation Respect, as it has been dubbed, started two months ago when extra police from Cairns and Townsville were flown into Mount Isa for a crackdown on anti-social behaviour.
The extra police presence led to 306 people being prosecuted on 405 charges.
While pleased with the early results, Cr McGrady said the success of Operation Respect and the action plan depended on an effective long-term strategy.
“I’m not going to give all this away,” he said.
“I’ve worked too bloody hard and that’s why I’m insisting that we still meet on a regular basis.”
Mount Isa Action Plan proposed subcommittees: inter-government group; community funding; education/school attendance; public safety; social housing; family support, health and well-being; after hours activity group.
