‘Idiots’ on motorbikes: Residents vow to stop teenagers spotted hooning through Adelaide’s south in their tracks
A PUBLIC meeting has been held in the southern suburbs where residents have vented frustration over “idiots” on motorbikes, hooning through local streets and reserves.
FRUSTRATED residents are taking a united stand against teenagers who are hooning through streets and reserves on stolen motorbikes.
About 25 people who attended a public meeting at Woodcroft last week have vowed to report sightings to police and Onkaparinga Council, so they can target problem areas.
The residents want their neighbours to do the same, so the hoons can be stopped in their tracks.
The meeting, hosted by Fisher MP (Labor) Nat Cook, came after dozens of frustrated residents took to social media last month, to warn others about the “idiots”
The riders have been spotted in numerous suburbs across the south, including Happy Valley, Morphett Vale, Woodcroft and Reynella.
A Happy Valley man, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of being targeted, told the meeting he had witnessed countless near-misses in a reserve next to his house.
He said on one occasion, a child was almost hit by a motorbike while walking through a park with her mum, on the way to a nearby kindergarten.
“This bike had to take major evasive action to miss the little girl,” he said.
The man said he confronted the rider, only to be sworn at and given “the finger”.
Residents at the meeting said motorbikes had been an issue for decades, but ramped up during school holidays.
They were often spotted not only hooning along roads, but tearing through reserves.
Ms Cook said the community needed to work together to manage the issue before someone was hurt.
“Tragedy can happen to the people who are using the bikes but also bystanders and people who are innocently walking on footpaths,” Ms Cook said.
She encouraged residents to take note of where the riders were coming from and report it to police.
“Somebody knows where they are (living), somebody knows where the bikes are,” Ms Cook said.
Ms Cook said she would hold street corner meetings across the south in the next month to discuss ways of managing the issue.
Senior Sergeant Gordon Little told the meeting many of the motorbikes were stolen, and the riders were often unlicensed teenagers, which made catching them difficult.
He said police responded to incidents, but often decided not to chase the riders because it was too dangerous.
One resident suggested establishing a dedicated track for motorbike riders in the south, however Snr Sgt Little said there would always be people who refused to follow the rules.
Onkaparinga’s community safety manager Ian Hawkins supported Snr Sgt Little’s call.
He said there had been 37 reports of people riding motorbikes on council land so far this financial year, and 39 in the 2015/16 financial year.
Because of the reports, Mr Hawkins said the council had identified a number of “hot spots”, including the Coast to Vines Trail and the riverbank at Old Noarlunga, which they had targeted with CCTV.
FOR a list of the South Coast’s neighbourhood policing teams, visit the SAPOL website then click on the services and events tab, select community programs, then neighbourhood policing and south coast.