Remote area teachers looking for security to be beefed up after gang attempt break-in at Aurukun house.
TEACHERS in remote areas may call for razor wire around their homes after three men tried to break into an Aurukun house while female teachers slept inside.
The men, who had duct tape with them, allegedly tried to break into two different doors at the teachers’ home about 3.40am yesterday, but the teachers were woken by security lights and yelled they would call the police.
The men then climbed a fence and ran away.
The teachers, both under the age of 26, later found a roll of duct tape outside their home.
The incident has prompted concern from teachers that Aurukun police could not be contacted for seven hours – a claim they deny.
"We’re obviously very concerned about the lack of police response," Queensland Teachers’ Union Peninsula organiser Maureen Duffy said. "What could have happened is terrible.
"There could have been a multiple rape or anything if they (the intruders) got in."
Ms Duffy said most properties where teachers lived had "intense security", including high fences, padlocked gates and security screens.
Another female staff member at Western Cape College’s Aurukun campus said someone also recently tried to break into her home.
The two incidents come despite strengthened security at teacher accommodation, after a spate of break-ins at Aurukun over the Christmas holidays.
Ms Duffy said teachers would review security after yesterday’s incident and look at other measures, such as razor wire fences, to prevent similar incidents.
She said it was unusual for break-ins to happen when teachers were at home.
Ms Duffy said that calls from teachers to Aurukun police were diverted to Cairns as late as 11am yesterday.
But Aurukun police officer-in-charge
Sen-Sgt Alan Dewis denied this, saying the attempted break-in was not reported to police when the call was diverted to Cairns.
"You can’t complain about a service if you don’t report what actually happened," he said.
"If that information had been passed on it’s without a doubt there would have been a quick response."
Sen-Sgt Dewis said he could not make any further comments as the investigation was ongoing.
Ms Duffy said the teachers were rattled by the incident and were staying at the homes of other staff members.
Cook MP Jason O’Brien said he was concerned about the attempted break-in but said installing razor wire on fences would send "the wrong message".
Nurses staged a massive push for better security for accommodation after a nurse was raped on a remote Torres Strait island in February 2008.
Queensland Nurses Union’s Cairns organiser Kathy Struber said no nurses working in the Cape or Torres Strait had reported any similar incidents and said security had improved dramatically.
