Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay to Get New Police Helicopter!
The State Government has announced funding for a new Polair helicopter specifically for the Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay region. This investment will significantly enhance police capabilities in our area.
Polair is the Queensland Police Service’s aerial operations unit. Their helicopters provide critical support to officers on the ground, offering a unique aerial perspective and rapid response times.
While the long-term impact of Polair on crime rates requires further study, numerous reports highlight its effectiveness in supporting ground operations and improving officer safety:
- Improved Response: The helicopter’s speed allows police to reach crime scenes and emergencies much faster, increasing apprehension rates and potentially preventing crimes in progress.
- Enhanced Visibility: Polair’s high vantage point allows officers to spot suspicious activity and track down fleeing suspects more effectively.
- Safer Operations: Helicopter support can provide valuable assistance and overwatch during high-risk situations, helping to keep both police officers and the public safe.
- Deterrence: The visible presence of a Polair helicopter can deter criminal activity, promoting a safer environment for everyone.
The Queensland Police Service will now begin the process of acquiring the most suitable aircraft and operator for the region. We can expect an update on the timeline for this addition to our local law enforcement soon.
The Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay community played a vital role in advocating for this new resource. Our local representatives, MPs Rob Skelton and Jason Hunt, deserve credit for championing this initiative.
While the long-term impact of Polair on crime rates requires further study, numerous reports highlight its effectiveness in supporting ground operations and improving officer safety.
Community safety is about recognising the need for all sections of the community, to work together to create a safer environment for people to work, live and travel. This means building partnerships between police, government agencies, local councils, community organizations and individuals to promote community safety.
Many crimes are opportunistic. They happen because the environment is conducive to crime or because people think it will be easy to “get away with it”. The challenge is to recognise these problems and do something about it. Urban design can encourage crime through poor lighting, hidden recesses in buildings or deserted open spaces. Inadequate services can also contribute. This could be anything from telephones that don’t work to transport facilities that are poorly located. Then these services can be easily and cost effectively improved once the problems are identified.
Creating safer local environments will help those more vulnerable members of our community feel safer. By working together we can identify problems and demonstrate how small changes can have big benefits.
The following button links to a “heat-map” of crime based on reports in the Queensland police database. It’s one day behind, however is a “close to real time” view of crime statistics.
Emergency Preparedness
Emergencies can happen suddenly and without warning. You can safeguard yourself, loved ones, and your belongings effortlessly with the Red Cross’s disaster preparedness resources, including Auslan and community language materials, as well as resources for children and caregivers.
Stay safe by preparing, starting with the Red Cross’s informative quiz, which may serve as a valuable reminder, even if you believe you are well-prepared.
Queensland Police
Call 000 if:
- The Crime is happening now
- When you life or property is in immediate danger
- When the event is time critical, for example a fire that concerns you.
Call 131 444 PoliceLink if the crime is NOT happening now, not life threatening or there is no likelihood of the suspected offender still being in the area. This number is used for non-uregnt reporting and enquiries.
Call 1800 333 000 CrimeStoppers to provide anonymous information about criminal activity. This is a community Programme.
Protect yourself against Scams
Scams are getting harder to spot. Australians reported a record $3.1 billion lost to scams last year. That’s 80% more than the year before.
Behind the growing numbers are everyday Australians who lost money to scams – sometimes their life savings. And the true cost of scams is more than a dollar figure. Scams can have a devastating impact on victims’ lives.
As scammers become increasingly sophisticated in their tactics, we need to better coordinate our efforts to stop them.
The National Anti-Scam Centre has been set up to coordinate government, law enforcement and the private sector to combat scams. It builds on the work of the ACCC’s Scamwatch service.
The best way to protect yourself is through awareness and education.
The The Australian Competition and Consummer Commission (ACCC) has produced the ‘Little Black Book of Scams’ for consumers and small businesses to learn about scams including:
- the most common scams to watch out for
- the different ways scammers can contact you
- the tools scammers use to trick you
- the warning signs
- how to protect yourself, and
- where you can find help.
Kureelpa and Mapleton Rural Fire Brigade
The Mapleton and Kureelpa brigades are seeking volunteer fire fighters. Training and personal protecive equipment is provided. Contact the First Officers for more information.
Fire Wardens and First Officers.
Dulong Wd 5441 2538
Kureelpa Wd 5476 0281
Kureelpa 1st Off 0408 710 156
Mapleton Wd, 1st Off 0499 778 806
The Kureelpa, Dulong and Mapleton Neighbourhood Watch
The goal of Neighbourhood Watch is to create “safer, connected and inclusive communities”. The Kureelpa and Dulong Neighbourhood Watch does this by:
- Strengthening our resilience against crime
- Feeling safer in our homes and within our local communities
- Working together with Police and the community
- Making our communities better places to
March is here – already! – and with it has arrived Neighbourhood Watch Month, the annual Neighbourhood Watch Australasia (NHWA) promotional campaign to raise awareness of the community benefits of joining a local Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) group, and of effective ways to keep homes and property secure.
This year the theme of NHW Month is ‘Safety in Numbers’, an initiative encouraging homeowners to join with other members of their local communities in building safer, more crime-resilient neighbourhoods, through proactively working with and connecting with their local NHW groups, and by collectively improving the security of their homes through the practical application of Target Hardening techniques.
Target Hardening is a process wherein a building or place is made into a more difficult or less attractive target through practical applications such as effective fencing, secure locks, installation of security lights and /or CCTV cameras, and the active lessening of opportunity for unlawful entry to premises, such as the installation of security screening on windows and doors, and the removal or storage of items that could be used to assist with access, such as wheelie bins.
Both NHWA and NHWQ have expert tools and advice for improving home and property security, so contact these organisations directly for more information or reach out to your local NHW group who have direct access to these resources.
At its core, ‘Safety in Numbers’ is about people and neighbours coming together to connect with other members of their community to collectively work together to create safer neighbourhoods at a grassroots level. Studies demonstrate that active membership in NHW groups result in individuals and families being more aware and engaged in proactive crime prevention. This in turn leads to a greater sense of safety, and feeling safe in neighbourhoods has been shown to be essential for physical and mental wellbeing.
If you haven’t yet engaged with or joined your local NHW group, please seek them out this NHW Month, for your own and others’ safety and wellbeing: there’s Safety in Numbers.
Quarterly Neighbourhood Watch Newsletters.
Thank you to the Kureelpa and Dulong Neighbourhood watch for sharing their newsletters on this site.
Domestic Violence Safe Phones
Domestic Violence Safe Phones is a registered charity which collects used mobile phones which are repurposed and gifted to victims of Domestic Violence through avenues of registered charities, safe houses and government agencies.
The Blackall Range Lions collect donations of used mobile phones and ensure they are delivered for processing. There are collection boxes in the Medical Centres at Montville and Mapleton, Mapleton Community Centre, Mapleton Bowls Club and the Mapleton Mens Shed. Please donate to ensure no call for help goes unheard!
The Domestic Violence Safe Phones web page gives simple instructions on how to prepare your old phone by signing out of areas before donation. Domestic Violence Safe Phones will also ensure that the records in your phone are fully cleared. (Iphone users: Please note that defore donating your Iphone you must sign out of ICloud or the phone can not be used.)