Australia’s paedophile town: More than 180 child sex offenders are at large in this city with just TWO police officers tasked to monitor them – as former detective says the ‘system is broken’
- 180 registered sex offenders living in North Queensland city of Townsville
- Just two Child Protection Offender Registry officers track their every move
- Former child protection detective turned MP opes up about challenges they face
Just two officers are swamped with the overwhelming job of monitoring almost 200 child sex offenders in a Queensland regional city, according to alarming new figures.
The population of registered child sex offenders living in Townsville has increased by 10 in the last year to 180.
There are now calls for more officers to be deployed to Child Protection Offender Registry investigation units in regional areas after the new figures were released this week.
Just 22 officers across the state are specifically dedicated to tracking the movements of 3000 convicted paedophiles, the Townsville Bulletin reported
Townsville (pictured) is home to 180 registered child sex offenders, according to new figures
Townsville Child Protection and Investigation Unit officer-in-charge Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Miles told the publication his unit was one of the busiest in the state which dealt with nine cases on a daily basis.
Former child protection detective turned Police and Counter Terrorism opposition spokesman Dan Purdie has spoken out about the enormous pressure overworked and understaffed officers face in the CPOR system, which he says is broken.
He spoke from experience, claiming CPOR officers aren’t provided with work cars and are forced to use their own vehicles or hope a police car was free.
There has been no change in the number of CPOR officers in the Townsville Police District in last five years, according to Mr Purdie.
One officer was reassigned due to stress, leaving the other solely responsible for tracking the moves of every convicted paedophile in the entire district.
Former child protection detective turned Queensland politician Dan Purdie described the Child Protection Offender Registry as broken (stock image)
Police Minister Mark Ryan addressed staff numbers in a Question on Notice in parliament this week, saying there was more than 510 CPIU officers ‘available in locations across the state to monitor offenders listed on the CPOR’.
‘We have the strongest laws in the nation when it comes to sex offenders and we recently boosted the resources to the Queensland Police Service by $27 million to support their work monitoring these offenders,’ Mr Ryan told the publication
Mr Purdie hit back, arguing that CPOR officers had enough on their massive workloads and previously backed a call for a child sex offender registry, which was voted against by the Queensland government.
Just two Child Protection Offender Registry officers are assigned to tracking the movements of 180 convicted paedophiles in Townsville (pictured)