Deputy mayor’s ‘call to arms’ over youth crime spree as locals take matters into own hands

A small Queensland town is “ready to riot” as it deals with a youth crime wave, with its fed-up deputy mayor calling on residents to take part in “Angel patrols” to keep the community safe.

The Deputy Mayor of a small Queensland town has made a call to arms after an ongoing spate of youth crime has left locals fearing for their safety, with one claiming the community was now “gripped in terror” while another claimed many are “ready to riot”.

In a post to the Goondiwindi Angel Alert (GAA) Facebook group, Deputy Mayor Rob Mackenzie called for residents to take nightly shifts driving around town, dubbed “Angel patrols”, to help deter and report any suspicious activity.

“Hi all, this is a call to ARMS…without the weapons (sic),” he wrote on April 7.

“Our weapons will be our community spirit, one that can’t be broken by the actions of a few. I’m asking anyone on this group page to rally together and do a shift driving around starting tonight.

“I know there are snitches on here who will pass this one but they need to see we will not be held to ransom by these scumbag lowlifes and to the families of these people… you’re on notice too. … And if you’re harbouring these little grubs or not reporting them to the police, you’re just as bad!

“Let’s help the police catch these marauding band of socially unacceptable degenerates and take back our town.”

Teenagers jumping out of and running from an allegedly stolen car after rolling it in Goondiwindi on Tuesday. Picture: Supplied

Mr Mackenzie, 55, told The Courier-Mail there had sometimes been up to 10 homes and three cars broken into in one night in the past 18 months in Goondiwindi, a town of 6000 people that sits on NSW border, about 220km southwest of Toowoomba.

On Wednesday, he said his neighbour’s car was stolen overnight, with videos of the offenders doing “reverse circles” before rolling the car and fleeing the scene appearing on social media hours later.

The councillor said the number of car thefts and break and enters had “ramped up” again in the past month, with the main offenders known to be between 10 to 15 years old.

“People have video footage of their homes – and there’s lot of it. You can’t see their faces, but you can see that some of them are 10 and 12 years of age, walking around with socks on their hands to turn handles on doors on houses to steal whatever they can get their hands on,” Mr Mackenzie said.

One of the several people Wayne Mischlewski said were caught on his security camera scoping his house in Goondiwindi about 2am March 22. Picture: Supplied

“Ninety per cent of the time, (the children are) getting car keys and joy-riding before burning the car and driving it into the river.

“Police will arrest them … then there won’t be anything for a week or a fortnight. They’ll go to court, the magistrates give them slap over a wrist they’re back in the community.

“They’re putting that stuff on social media and they’re getting notoriety by doing it.”

The rash of crime prompted the GAA group to be formed last year.

Those who go on patrol can be recognised by the iridescent GAA magnets on their cars.

Trevor Hoole, 60, said the crime had started to “get violent lately.”

“The town is being ruled by a group of youths,” he said.

“A girl had her car stolen and they bashed her at eight in the morning about 10 days ago.

“At the moment, we have a town gripped in terror.

“People are frightened their cars or houses are going to get broken into.”

Fifth generation Goondiwindi resident, Trevor Hoole, is one of several residents fed up with youth crime in the town of 6000. Picture: Supplied

The retired butcher said the offenders were “almost untouchable” because they were juveniles.

“They know they can break the law and nothing will happen. These are the laws are our politicians see fit for us to live under,” he said.

A Queensland Police Service (QPS) spokeswoman said a 13-year-old boy was charged with several offences after a 20-year-old woman was allegedly assaulted by three teenage boys and had her car stolen in Goondiwindi on March 31.

The 13-year-old appeared in Goondiwindi Children’s Court earlier this month on one charge of unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

Warrants have been issued for three other juvenile offenders, she said.

The spokeswoman said a 36-year-old woman was also threatened with “what appeared to be a gun” and robbed by teenagers who got out of a stolen car on March 26 as she walked along George Street about 4.45am.

Videos appeared on social media of teenagers doing reverse circles just hours after this car was allegedly stolen overnight Tuesday in Goondiwindi. They rolled the car with at least seven people piliing out of it and running away. Picture: Supplied

Warrants have been issued for four other teenagers.

Police were aware of “a small cohort of youth offenders who travel into the area and commit offences,” the spokeswoman said.

“The QPS recently commenced a joint operation with the New South Wales Police Force with local enquiries conducted south of the border in Boggabilla and Toomelah in relation to a number of serious offences,” she said.

“As a result, five offenders have been charged with numerous offences within New South Wales.

“Arrest warrants have been taken out by Queensland Police for several offences allegedly committed by the same offenders in Queensland. As the offenders are in custody in New South Wales, extradition proceedings cannot be undertaken at this time.”

Fed-up Goondiwindi residents say police arrest teenagers involved with an ongoing crime spree in the area, but the courts give them a “slap on the wrist” and release them again immediately. Picture: Supplied

Another fed-up resident, Wayne Mischlewski, 39, said he his security cameras have caught people scoping out his house four times, including just before 2am on March 22.

“Our cameras woke us up. … Thankfully they have never taken anything from my place but most aren’t that lucky,” he said.

The retail worker said residents have had enough.

“It seems nothing is going to stop them unfortunately but the writing is on the wall. People will take it into their own hands now,” he said.

“It’s the courts letting us down. The police do a great job catching them.

“I know several people who are ready to riot, no joke if it keeps up one of them will end up killing one of them.”
Mr Mischlewski also claimed some families were leaving the town after having been robbed several times.

“People just don’t feel safe anymore. Families are leaving town because nothing happens even when they are caught,” he said.

Goondiwindi Regional Council Deputy Mayor, Rob Mackenzie, has made a “call to arms” to the community to help be vigilant about an alleged youth crime spree. Picture: Supplied

Goondiwindi Regional Council members have repeatedly contacted Police Minister Mark Ryan, Queensland Police Service officials, and Children and Youth Justice Minister, Leanne Linard, requesting a 24 hour police station and tougher sentencing for juveniles.

A “24-hour police presence” was introduced to the area from early 2021 as a result of the increased crime and ongoing calls for help by residents.

Ms Linard, said she planned to meet with Mayor Lawrence Springborg next week to discuss the issue.

“We are working hard to address youth offending in Goondiwindi and keep the community safe,” she said.

“This includes senior youth justice and child safety officers attending the Cross Border Crime Committee and working collaboratively with the community to address their concerns.

A group of people Wayne Mischlewski said were caught on his security camera trying to break into his house in Goondiwindi about 2am March 22. Picture: Supplied

“Youth justice workers work in partnership with their New South Wales counterparts to ensure information regarding young offenders committing cross-border crime is shared to reduce offending and protect the community.”

Ms Linard said Queensland had the toughest youth bail laws in the country as a result of reforms to the Youth Justice Act last year.

This has seen more young offenders being remanded in custody and being held there longer, she said.

A QPS spokesman said a 13-year-old boy who was remanded on 61 charges in November, including several property-related offences, appeared in court in Goondiwindi on April 5 on seven more property-related charges committed in the prior week.

They said the boy pleaded guilty to the seven charges and received a “restorative justice” sentence.

A restorative justice conference is a meeting between a child who has committed a crime and the people most affected by that crime.

A Goondiwindi Angel Alert magnet on a volunteers car. Picture: Supplied

The spokesman said the same alleged offender also pleased guilty to one count of unlawful use of a motor vehicle on March 7 and received the same sentence, infuriating Goondiwindi residents.

“What a joke,” one woman wrote on Facebook.
“So it’s basically a catch and release program,” another woman said.
“The police must get so frustrated with this system along with the victims and community. The justice system is failing us enormously.”

In 2020, Mr Ryan announced more than 2000 additional police officers would be introduced over five years throughout the state.

“The Police Commissioner has stated publicly that this investment will deliver a minimum of 150 extra police officers to each policing region across the state, including the region that includes Goondiwindi,” he said.