RENEWED calls for curfews on child thugs have been rejected by mayor-elect Val Schier who says the answer is not so simple.
Ms Schier yesterday said the Cairns Regional Council would work with government agencies to find a solution to stop the thuggery in the city’s streets.
"I won’t be calling for a curfew but at the same time we need to address it," Ms Schier told The Cairns Post.
"We need to see what works in other cities.
"We need to see what’s happening inside these families that allow their kids to be out at night and committing these crimes."
A Cairns North resident contacted The Cairns Post after witnessing a Korean woman being hassled by a group of four teens on Digger St on Sunday night.
"They didn’t get her bag off her because two blokes in a car jumped out to help her," Digger St resident Glenn Fuller said.
"The new mayor should put a restriction on kids at night because it’s not just affecting Australians but the tourists as well. If something is not done, people will start taking matters into their own hands."
Mr Fuller said the same group tried to steal his bike from inside his gated unit complex just minutes after they had tried to knock the woman from her bike.
Cairns Police acting Supt John Harvey said Asian students often did not report crimes against them and needed to ensure they were not making themselves targets by riding in the dark or alone.
"Please report to police," he said.
"Cairns is safe city."
Ms Schier said she would also ask the council to consider appointing someone to regularly visit Cairns’ language schools to ensure the international students were educated about staying safe and riding according to Australian road rules.
