Violence on the increase in Burleigh and police think they know why

An increase in violence has been recorded in the southern end of the city and police think they know the reason. Find out why.

Some of the night spots in Burleigh Heads. Picture Glenn Hampson

A massive increase in violence on the Gold Coast has been blamed on the emergence of new party spots in the south of the city.

Analysis by the Bulletin showed 2022 was the most violent on record in the city, with a massive 4806 assaults reported in the region – well up on the 4289 in 2021.

It was also more than 1000 more than the 3512 assault reported in 2019 – the last year before the pandemic set the city in lockdowns and restricted travel across the world.

Gold Coast Police Superintendent Scott Knowles said police on the ground were seeing assaults rise in areas like Burleigh Heads and Coolangatta, where new venues have proliferated.

An alleyway in Burleigh Heads where police say they are seeing a rise in violence. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

“We have seen an increase in anti-social behaviour towards the south which we are pouring a lot more policing resources into at the moment to address before it gets too serious,” he said.

“We do see the random sort of assaults outside licenced premises or associated with licenced premises.

“Burleigh is starting to become a lot more alive with their entertainment precincts – there’s a lot more entertainment options down there then there was previously.

“As a result you are getting the community using that Burleigh end more than previously.

“As is starts to evolve in that Burleigh area you are going to start getting more entertainment options.”

Police have attributed a rise in violence to the additional party precinct. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

In September last year a man was assaulted outside Justin Lane in the early hours of the morning after an altercation.

Less than a week later another man was punched during an altercation in a nearby alleyway.

Billy Fallon was sentenced in November last year for assaulting a cleaning in the toilets at bar Nightjar in January 2022.

In December police put a call out for more information after a man was beaten at a bus stop on the Gold Coast Highway in early hours of the morning in Burleigh.

In October, Justin Lane manager John Hall told the Bulletin: “Having watched this area grow and indeed grown with it, we share these concerns about the shifting face of our night-life.

“We strive at every opportunity to protect Burleigh Heads from this sort of anti-social behaviour.”

Supt Knowles said increases in assaults had not been as significant in the safe nights precincts of Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, where police had wanding powers.

Billy Dean Fallon (shirtless) attacks a cleaner at Nightjar in Burleigh Heads in January this year. Picture: Supplied

He said police were planning to send more resources to the Burleigh area when the light rail is completed and people would be also move more quickly around the city on the tram.

“We’re putting a lot more patrols in through those licenced precincts,” he said.

“We are also getting the Rapid Action Patrol (police) to come through.”

He said police were also working with licenced venues on education programs.

Bond University Criminologist Terry Goldsworthy said it was plausible for the increase in entertainment venues could also be linked to assaults.

“I live in the area and the comment I get in on the street is ‘Burleigh is going to the dogs’ because it’s becoming a mini nightclub precinct,” he said.

Justin Lane and the Pink Monkey in Burleigh Heads. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

“It will probably be something police will need to look at very shortly – getting some kind of police beat into Burleigh and getting some kind of presence down there on Friday and Saturday nights.”

Mr Goldsworthy said police also needed to be doing a detailed intelligence analysis to find out the reasons behind the rise in assaults.

He said the figures were a reflection on crime across the board in Queensland, which had risen eight per cent statewide.

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Originally published as Violence on the increase in Burleigh and police think they know why