The LNP Toowoomba North candidate is calling for more front line police services and more police on the beat in Toowoomba to help ensure the safety of residents and workers in small businesses and to tackle armed crime.
He accused the long-term Labor government of 'throwing-in the towel' on violent crime following a spate of armed hold-ups across Queensland - 39 in the past month, some of those in Toowoomba.
"Thugs armed with, knives, scissors, handguns and syringes are running rampant holding-up and terrorising small businesses, take-away stores and pubs," Mr Watts said.
"With 39 armed robberies in the past 30 days after 29 in December, Queenslanders have a right to wonder just what this tired Labor government plans to do about it... it doesn't seem they are doing much if anything.
"I have run small business, the type considered "soft targets" that these thugs prey on. I know that resourcing the front line and getting police out on the beat will help and this is what I am fighting for in Toowoomba.
"Police officers I talk to are drowning in Labors back-room bureaucracy. They want to do the job they signed up for - to serve and protect the community. They do not want to shuffle papers to satisfy Labor's love of bureaucracy.
"Bureaucracy doesn't stop crime. Police, enabled to target criminals, stop crime.
"But Kerry Shine, Anna Bligh and her retiring Police Minister have walked away from tackling armed crime.
"Labor doesn't have any interest in grassroots crime prevention, increasing help to businesses considered 'soft targets' or bolstering frontline police numbers.
"All Labor wants to do is deny the facts – when the government's own Police Statistical Annual Report confirms the rise in armed robberies, they bury their heads in the sand.
"Of the 465 reported armed robberies in 2010/11, almost half, 214, went unsolved.
"We need to be vigilant when it comes to armed robberies and armed violence.
"The LNP has promised to revitalise frontline police.
"After 20 years, Labor and its silent local MPs still can't get this right. Campbell Newman's Can Do team will get it right.
"It's time for change. It's time to get Queensland back on track," he said.
