Tony Perrett says Gympie shops targeted by criminals

Claims of ‘loitering, vandalism, public drinking, graffiti, mischief and begging’ in the Gympie CBD have been aired in parliament in the wake of a several high profile crimes that have left businesses angry and fearful.

Gympie Chamber of Commerce president Petra van Beek (left) and state MP Tony Perrett (right) are calling for more support amdi claims the region's businesses are being targeted by criminals. The calls follow two high profile crimes in as many months, with thousands of dollars of stock stolen from Toyworld in March and a vape store torched in an arson attack in April.

Fights outside shops in Mary Street, and front doors being smashed are among the shock claims aired in parliament by Gympie LNP MP Tony Perrett amid a call for more police resources.

Mr Perrett issued the plea on behalf of the region’s businesses on May 11, saying the Gympie Chamber of Commerce had given him a list of 16 businesses “targeted” the previous week, and that shop owners were “fed up”.

He said one owner who had contacted him claimed “chaos has descended on the main street of Gympie and police action seems totally ineffective”.

They were one of several to have approached Mr Perrett’s office, he said.

One owner said there had been “two full-on fights” outside their shop and there had been an increase in “loitering, vandalism, public drinking, graffiti, public mischief and begging”.

Another owner said their front doors had been smashed in.

The thieves escaped with “two cokes” in an incident which the owner said may be the “last straw”.

Thieves stole thousands of dollars of items, including Lego sets, from Gympie Toyworld in an overnight burglary discovered by manager Peta Caldwell on the morning of February 28, 2023.

The claims follow two high profile incidents in the city centre in as many months,

In early April 2023 a vape shop and adjoining chiropractor’s office were gutted in an arson attack.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Little more than a month earlier thieves made off with thousands of dollars of stock in a late night burglary of Toyworld.

“Owners tell me that residents are saying that they are avoiding Mary St where possible,” Mr Perrett told parliament.

Another owner was told by police to install a camera “as the station was short-staffed and extra patrol duties were unavailable”.

Figure released by the government in response to a question on notice from Mr Perrett revealed the last increase in approved permanent police positions for Gympie happened in July 2022, from 49 to 50.

It had remained unchanged since then.

A vape shop in Mary St was torched in an overnight arson attack on Sunday, April 10, 2023. A chiropractor’s office was also destroyed in the blaze. Police investigations are ongoing.

Chamber president Petra van Beek said the problem affected businesses outside the city centre and while police were working “to the best of their capacity” the region “absolutely could use more resources”.

“It’s costing (businesses) not just money in lost goods … but costing them stress, too,” Ms van Beek said.

She urged any business owners affected to contact police and not rely on social media “which police don’t see”.

“We need something done about it,” she said.

In response to Mr Perrett’s comments, police said Tuesday:

“While staffing figures will fluctuate from time to time, the QPS has sufficient staff and resources to deliver professional policing services to all Gympie residents and visitors, including city-based businesses.”

State Police Minister Mark Ryan said Commissioner Katarina Carroll had stated the government was investing in 2000 more police personnel across the state, which will help increase officer levels in the Wide Bay Burnett District (which includes Gympie). Wednesday May 3, 2023. Picture, John Gass

The Wide Bay Burnett District, which includes Gympie, had “the discretion and flexibility to allocate police resources as needed” and the “borderless model … ensures our workforce is agile and adaptable, and not restricted by traditional policing boundaries”.

Police Minister Mark Ryan said these crimes could be “incredibly frustrating and disruptive to their businesses” and as such the government had “introduced a suite of tough new laws, including for the very first time in Queensland’s history, a breach of bail offence for young offenders”.

Mr Ryan was himself not allowed to intervene on regional police numbers.

“The allocation of police resources across the state is strictly a matter for the Police Commissioner, free of political interference, just as it should be.

“The Commissioner has stated publicly that the government’s investment in more than 2000 extra police personnel will see the deployment of a minimum of 150 extra police officers to each police region, including the region that includes Gympie.”