A CAIRNS police officer is leading the fight against violence with a culture of peace and trust.
Cairns district domestic violence officer Sgt Larissa Flood has volunteered her time and knowledge with the internationally-recognised Alternatives to Violence Project.
Sgt Flood said project workshops were designed to look at the reasons for violence before trying to find ways to resolve conflicts.
“Anyone can do it. You can be a student, unemployed, a professional – anybody really. Those who do these workshops can be facilitators within the Cairns community,” Sgt Flood said.
The project is looking for people who want to learn about dealing with conflict as well as people who are interested in helping others, especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
In the Far North, police are called to about 15 domestic incidents a day.
The project’s basic community workshop will be held at Seville Mercy Conference Centre, Bauhinia Avenue, Earlville on Saturday and Sunday as well as on March 27 and 28.
Meanwhile, a new report suggests that allowing police to issue protection orders and getting more offenders into counselling could help stem domestic violence in indigenous communities.
New South Wales criminologist Prof Chris Cunneen has spent the past two years examining domestic violence in Queensland indigenous communities.
While the number of domestic violence cases in indigenous families is unknown, mostly because of under-reporting by victims, indigenous women are about six times more likely than non-indigenous women to be victims of domestic violence.
The report found the highest reported rates of violence were at Kowanyama, Pormpuraaw, Aurukun, Yarrabah and Mornington Island.
Prof Cunneen said police were the applicants in almost four in every five protection orders involving an indigenous person.
He recommended police investigate the extension of powers to provide for police-issued short-term emergency domestic violence orders.
But the powers should be accompanied by increased services and programs in the community for perpetrators because prison was not changing violent behaviour.
Up to half of all indigenous domestic violence offenders are jailed.
Prof Cunneen said one of the reasons why violence was under-reported was the fear of having children removed by child safety officers.
People interested in the Alternative to Violence Project workshops should send their email to AVPQCairns@live.com
A ROADSIDE camera that scans the number plates of passing traffic and alerts police to unregistered vehicles and disqualified drivers was tested in Cairns last week.
More than a dozen police, along with inspectors from the Department of Transport, took part in the five-hour road operation on Hoare St, Manunda.
The computer-linked camera reads the number plates of passing cars and conducts checks against the police database, allowing police further down the road to pull over offenders.
The equipment is being tested across Queensland before a final report on its use will decide if it becomes a full-time police tool.
“It enables officers to identify licence and registration offences through the use of technology,” Far Northern Traffic Co-ordinator Insp Bob Waters said.
The number plate camera was also tested at Mareeba and Babinda.
The trials formed part of a high-visibility police operation that Insp Waters said would become more common on Far Northern roads.
“This is an ongoing traffic operation throughout the region and the district and it makes up part of a high visibility police strategy,” he said.”
POLICE are urging the public to pick up the phone today to supply information to Crime Stoppers on organised criminal activity within Queensland.
Members of the community have been urged to call in the 24 hours up to midnight tonight on any criminal activity including drug trafficking, supply and production, extortion, money laundering, serious assault or possession of weapons.
Det Chief Supt Mike Condon of State Crime Operations Command said organised crime in Queensland was an issue the community and police could work together to keep on top of things.
“While we are basically on par with other states around Australia, it is an issue we need to be mindful of heading into the future,” he said.
“We know these groups are responsible for producing dangerous drugs and trafficking them throughout Queensland, extorting members of the community, committing serious assaults and even murder.
“We need the public to provide us the information to help us fight what is happening now and hopefully prevent further offences from being committed down the track.”
Det Chief Supt Condon said significant arrests had been made recently but said police would not rest on their laurels. “We are constantly gathering intelligence to help us formulate our strategies,” he said.
“This type of information could be what we need to close down a significant syndicate or network operating within your community.”
Information can be supplied to Crime Stoppers until midnight tonight on 1800 333 000 or online at www. crimestoppers.com.au
Sydneys new riot squad people talking - good and bad but they achieving the results that good citizens would expect.
Watch the video and see for yourself what our police have to put up with and this is what Queensland needs.

On patrols: Public Safety Response Team members (from left) Dean George, Vincenzo Fioriti, Pete Robinson and Richard Hinrichsen walk the streets of Cairns last night. Picture:
POLICE from Brisbane last night joined an ongoing effort in the Far North to crack down on anti-social and alcohol fuelled offences in the CBD and across Cairns.
Four members of the Public Safety Response Team will spend the weekend working in Cairns, helping police in their efforts to clean up notorious trouble spots throughout the city.
Insp Russell Rhodes said the four Brisbane officers would work with the Tactical Crime Squad and City Beat officers.
"Over the last two months we have increased police numbers substantially between 4am and 6am on Saturdays and Sundays in the CBD and other suburban hot spots," he said.
"This has reduced the number of public disorder offences through an increased detection in these vital hours.
"We have also conducted increased compliance with licensed premises.
"It’s going to be an ongoing crackdown."
Insp Rhodes said the crackdown was in response to the high number of offences committed in the CBD on Saturday and Sunday mornings. "We are focused on anti-social offences and offences fuelled by alcohol and drugs," he said.
"The apprehension of offenders will be a high priority because ultimately we need to enhance public safety for those who want to enjoy the restaurants and nightclubs of Cairns."
He said information gathered in the past had allowed police to better target trouble areas.
"We have been doing weekly operations and have increased operations through intelligence-
driven rostering that has put more police on the streets at vital times," he said.