why it’s here
“Without Fret or Favour”
The Sheriffs Act brings back something towns have always valued, local people keeping the peace, and rebuilds it with modern training, clear limits and real accountability.
THE GAP IT FILLS
Noise, disputes, vandalism, unpaid court orders and disorder in town centres shape how safe a place feels. Right now they compete with emergencies for police time. A local Sheriff's Office gives them a dedicated home, staffed by people who know the area.
STRONGER TOGETHER
Residents get a dedicated response to everyday problems, from deputies they'll see around town.
Councils help set local priorities, and can see what their spending delivers.
QPS gains support without touching police budgets, freeing police officers for serious crime and emergencies.
Regional towns get a steady presence in the places hardest to cover.
NO NEW RULES, NO POLICE BUDGET
There are no new offences for the public. The Act draws on Queensland's existing laws and is funded through existing council and Department of Justice budgets.
WHEN IT MATTERS MOST
When something serious happens, Sheriffs and Deputies support police with traffic, public order and scene security, and control passes to QPS the moment they arrive.
THE CAIRNS CASE:
WHAT CAIRNS PAYS NOW, AND WHAT IT GETS
In 2026/27, Cairns Regional Council budgeted $5.8 million for CitySafe, plus $525,000 for CCTV. That's around $6.3 million a year, or roughly $37 for every resident, up from about $5.3 million in 2024/25.
That money buys cameras, monitoring, and patrols, but not the power to act. CitySafe staff are council-authorised persons under Local Laws. When they see a problem, they watch, record, and call police.
Meanwhile, the problems keep growing. More than 33,000 incidents of antisocial or disruptive behaviour were recorded in the Cairns CBD between 2023 and 2025. Each one that needs a response pulls QPS away from serious crime and emergencies.
CITYSAFE — What Cairns pays for now
$6.3M a year: $5.8M + $525k CCTV (2026/27)
377 cameras and a 24/7 monitoring room
Security and public space patrols
Can watch and report, then call police
Council authorised persons under Local Laws only
≈ $37 PER RESIDENT for patrols that can only report
Same money. Better spent.
A Sheriff's Office for Cairns, with about 28 staff led by a local Sheriff, is estimated at $4.5 to $5.5 million a year. That's comparable to what ratepayers already pay.
Its Deputies would be sworn and drawn from the community, able to handle public order, summary offences, and local laws on the spot. Serious matters would go straight to QPS, which gets its time back for the work only police can do.
SHERIFF'S OFFICE: What the same money could get
$4.5–5.5M a year, estimated, 28-person office
A local Sheriff, accountable to Cairns
Sworn Deputies on the street, from the community
Can act on the spot: public order, summary offences, local laws
Works alongside QPS, handing serious matters to police
Frees police for serious crime and emergencies
≈ $27–32 PER RESIDENT for Deputies who can act
Sheriff's Office figures are indicative estimates prepared for this community proposal, not official costings.
When it’s Not serious enough for THE police, but Too serious to ignore.
Help bring a Sheriff’s Office to your community.
