Six new permanent police officers will be stationed in Mount Isa from early next year to help in the city’s battle against anti-social behaviour.
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Two of the officers will join the tactical crime squad, one will be assigned to general duties while another will be appointed Senior Sergeant Tactician.
Queensland Deputy Police Commissioner Brett Pointing said the latter position would play an important coordinating role in the Mount Isa Police District.
“That’s a very strategic position,” he said.
“That very much is the interface between the intelligence we have and the police on the street.
“(It) means that we can get our police in the right places in the right numbers at the right time.”
Of the other new arrivals, one officer will work at the PCYC and another will perform a school-based role in the region.
Deputy Commissioner Pointing said engaging young people was a key strategy in lowering youth crime.
“We can’t arrest our way out of every problem,” he said.
“A lot of the work we do is very much about engaging youth and engaging others in the community.
“Diversionary activities – activities that take young people away from doing the wrong thing and engage them in worthwhile activities – is very important.”
Deputy Commissioner Pointing announced the new officers on Monday while attending the Mount Isa Action Plan community roundtable in the city.
The additional manpower follows the appointment of four trainee officers earlier this year and the temporary reinforcement of 30 police in September as part of Operation Respect, which cracked down on anti-social behaviour after the Pioneer Police Beat was burnt down.
The task force officers have since left Mount Isa, but Deputy Commissioner Pointing said they could be recalled if needed.
“If we see crime or public disorder escalating, that task force can be re-established virtually overnight to tackle problems,” he said.
“We’ll monitor it very closely.
“It doesn’t mean the work we’ve done over the last two months can’t happen again if necessary.”
Deputy Commissioner Pointing attended the roundtable in place of Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart, who remained in Brisbane to address security matters following the terrorist attacks in Paris.
