Program provides hope for homeless - Queensland Police Service

Program provides
hope for homeless
By Karmen Turner, Media and Public Affairs Branch
Apolice-led program is
helping to reduce homelessness
and alcohol-related problems in the
Cairns CBD.
The Homelands Partnerships is
not only boosting the health and
welfare of the homeless but
improving the perception of safety
in Cairns and protecting the area’s
$2 billion tourism industry.
The program seeks to help people
– primarily from the Cape York and
Lockhart River areas – who
become displaced after moving to
Cairns. It provides them with the
ability and support they need to
return to their communities.
“The program has allowed
homeless people to be treated with
dignity and has broken down the
cycle of alcoholism and
homelessness in the Central
Business District of Cairns,”
Assistant Commissioner Peter
Barron, from Far Northern Police
Region, said.
“The focus is on social change.
Through the Homelands initiative
we have been able to turn what
seemed like an insurmountable
problem around to achieve great
results.”
Since Homelands was introduced in
July 2004, 28 people have been
housed in temporary
accommodation, 17 people have
entered alcohol rehabilitation and
138 itinerants have voluntarily
returned home to their
communities.
As many homeless people feel
trapped in a cycle of mounting
debt, Homelands has also helped
more than 280 people pay off
outstanding fines by assisting them
in structuring an automatic
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‘The program has allowed
homeless people to be treated
with dignity and has broken
down the cycle of alcoholism
and homelessness in the Central
Business District of Cairns’
Assistant Commissioner Peter Barron, Far Northern Police Region.
payment from their fortnightly
pension.
Cairns City Police Beat initiated
the Homelands Partnerships to
identify the reasons behind a
person being homeless.
Police officers, police liaison
officers and government
representatives spoke with
homeless people and identified
that the majority were Indigenous
and many had arrived in Cairns
from surrounding communities for
medical treatment or had been
released after serving prison
sentences in Cairns.
Many wanted to return to their
communities but did not have the
knowledge or provisions to
organise a trip home.
Sergeant Owen Kennedy, Officer in
Charge of Cairns City Police Beat,
said many homeless people were
circulating through the criminal
justice system.
“It was important to tackle the
issue at street-level, to break the
cycle and bring about long-term
change.”
A number of related issues had
to be considered such as poor
mental or physical health due to
alcoholism, communicable
diseases or substance abuse.
In coming up with solutions to
help people return home, police
enlisted help from the Department
of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Policy, Centrelink,
Queensland Health, Department
of Communities and Cairns
City Council.
Community organisations and
local businesses also played a key
role in providing support including
reduced airfares and transport,
temporary accommodation, food
and clothing assistance and
medical services.
The Homelands Partnerships was
recognised as a finalist in the
2005 Premier’s Awards for
Excellence in Public Sector
Management for the Focusing On
Our People Award.
The initiative also received the
gold award in the 2005
Queensland Police Service Awards
for Excellence in Problem-Oriented
and Partnership Policing.
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