Gympie crime spike fuelled by rising addiction to meth, ice

The region’s top cop has confirmed that a recent rise in the number of car thefts and burglaries was a direct result of the soaring use of meth or “ice” in Gympie.

Gympie police have warned locals that regional Queensland’s soaring ice problem has sparked an increase in break and enters committed by addicts across the region.

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A report by the Courier Mail on Monday revealed that ice consumption has soared in Queensland over the past two years, with testing showing that use of the illicit drug had increased by some 46.5%.

Addiction groups are urging the government to “stop having conversations about it and actually be proactive” in tackling the issue, which is destroying average Queensland families, clogging the court system and using precious hospital resources.

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Gympie police officer in charge Gregg Davey said a spike in break and enters and motor vehicle thefts across the region was very much linked to this worrying trend.

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“There has been an increase in property offences committed by offenders impacted by meth use,” Snr Sgt Davey said.

“It is a timely to remind people to ensure their belongings are secured. Lock doors, don’t leave your keys in unattended cars, if you can afford it, install CCTV, and monitor and report suspicious behaviour involving cars and vehicles.”

Gympie police Senior Sergeant Gregg Davey.

Like other regional areas around Qld, many of these offences are being committed by young adults.

“Late teens to late twenties is the most prevalent [age group], although I have seen meth addiction have significant impact on persons in their thirties and early forties,” Snr Sgt Davey said.

While there was a drop in offences related to meth and other drugs during the Covid lockdown periods, offences both around the state and in the Gympie region have grown exponentially again since, and this was not limited just to drug use - it was production too, Snr Sgt Davey said.

“There was a drop in the detection of meth production ‘labs’ during the Covid period, but detection has increased again,” he said.

Domestic violence is another issue police often find can be linked to meth use.

“Drug use is also a causation factor in domestic and family violence matters.

“It is important that we canvas this as part of our referral system to assist clients with their drug and alcohol addictions as part of our preventive strategies.”

Although the spike in ice use is certainly evident in Gympie, Imbil police officer in charge Bill Greer said it was not something he saw a lot of around Imbil and the Mary Valley.

Imbil police Sergeant Bill Greer

“We acknowledge that it’s out here,” he said. “But it’s not prevalent or increasing here. We have had drug related matters in the past, and I’m sure that it’s out here, but it’s not something that we’re seeing a lot of.”

Sgt Greer said he did not believe the justice system was tough enough on drug offences, and joined other campaigners in calling for more action to address the problem.

“It’s one thing for police to put matters before the court, but at the end of the day, if they are already addicted, it’s hard to come back from that,” he said.

“Education needs to come into it alongside enforcement. We need to work on prevention; educating people on the effects of it before they even start using.”

The need for preventive strategies is a sentiment echoed by Snr Sgt Davey.

“There is a lot of good work being performed by government organisations and non-government organisations to assist community members impacted by drug use,” he said.

“It is important to review the outcomes and adapt the delivered services around prevention and assistance in addressing drug dependency.”

If you are concerned about your own or someone else’s drug use, call Alcohol and Drug Information Service on 1800 177 833. Help is free, 24/7, anonymous, and confidential.

Further assistance can be found in Family Drug Support online and by phone on 1300 368 186.

Free and 24/7 counselling for people using drugs, their family members and friends, can be accessed here.