With less than 45 days until the Opening Ceremony of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018), Townsville and Cairns police in conjunction with their local city councils are well on their way to finalising preparations for this historic sporting event, Queensland Police say.
Townsville and Cairns will play host to the GC2018 Basketball preliminaries between April 5 – 10. A range of free events coincide with the Games as a part of Festival 2018. It is the first time an event of this magnitude has been held in regional centres and a great deal of collaboration with key partners has been undertaken to make the Games and associated events a success.
Commonwealth Games Group Assistant Commissioner, Peter Crawford said the role of police in GC2018 is to ensure that we deliver a safe, secure and successful games.
"We cannot do this alone; it takes everyone one of us doing our part to make the Games a success. Townsville and Cairns have shown a tremendous commitment to making sure their cities are equipped to deliver a safe Games." Assistant Commissioner Crawford said.
Northern Region Assistant Commissioner, Paul Taylor said that local police have been working together with key partners and the community to ensure Townsville and Cairns are prepared to host a safe and secure Games.
"This week police from Townsville and Cairns along with key stakeholders will be participating in discussion exercises with key partners in preparation for the Games. We will be covering a range of topics around traffic, serious incidents, weather events and maintaining business as usual. These exercises form a part of the extensive planning already undertaken in preparation for the Games. And this will be our last opportunity to exercise in this fashion before the Games begin."
"Police are also launching Operation Sentinel Unite in Townsville. Sentinel Unite is a contemporary crime prevention strategy aimed at detecting and deterring all forms of criminality – from minor offences to terrorism." Assistant Commissioner Taylor said.
Operation Sentinel Unite forms a part of the QPS commitment to ensure the safety and security of residents, visitors and athletes ahead of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Unite is a two-part strategy encompassing both community engagement and enforcement. It also reinforces Australia’s national security message: "If it doesn’t add up speak up" and to call the National Security Hotline on 1 800 123 400 to report suspicious behaviour.
"On Thursday and Friday this week police from the Sentinel Unite team will be engaging with the community at local shopping centres to share the Sentinel Unite message that we all have a role to play in keeping ourselves and our communities safe."
"We are encouraging the community to support police by taking responsibility for contributing to their own security as well as the security of their businesses and the community and report suspicious behaviour to the National Security Hotline on 1800 123 400." Assistant Commissioner Taylor said.
For more information on Sentinel Unite visit here.
For information on the Games visit here.
For information on local impacts to roads and public transport visit here.
