OPINION: TIME FOR MORE ACTION IS NOW

Community safety has been the core of everything we’ve done since being elected to represent you in the seats of Nicklin and Caloundra.

Keeping people safe is in our DNA, between the two of us we have been about community safety our whole lives, whether serving in the military and corrective services or protecting people and property as a firefighter.

And both of us have continued to do everything we can to keep our communities safe since being elected, fighting hard for extra police and resources.

Those efforts have seen a new emergency services precinct in Aura in the seat of Caloundra including a new police station, while in Nicklin there are many more police who are better equipped - and there are more officers on the way.

And we’re about to take that push for community safety to a whole new level.

We take our jobs as the voices of Sunshine Coast people very seriously which is why this week while in Brisbane for Parliament we will be meeting with the Police Minister to call for even more resources to protect people and property on the Sunshine Coast.

We’ve been keeping a close eye on what Police have been doing to combat crime in Townsville, and by all reports the new helicopter has made a massive difference to community safety in that city. It’s that sort of resource when coupled with more police which can have a huge impact.

Extra resources need to be backed with tough laws and we were please to see the recent comments from Chief Justice Helen Bowskill who said Queensland had the strong laws needed for Judges and Magistrates to deal with repeat offenders and keep them off our streets. If young offenders pose an unacceptable risk to the community they should remain in custody – and with our tough laws the courts have the power to do just that.

We’d also like to see the social media giants play their part. We’re sick and tired of young offenders brazenly posting their crimes in newsfeeds, and encouraging other young people to do the same. This must stop.

These social media companies must ban these videos and take them down straight away if they are posted - removing the platform to publicise these harmful acts and deter copy cat crimes.

We’d like to thank the Sunshine Coast community for its continued support of our efforts to keep this region safe – we’re proud to be your strong voice in Government.

You can sign my petition calling for a new police helicopter here: https://www.robertskeltonmp.com.au/new-police-helicopter-sunshine-coast