Detective Inspector Luke Peachey: Three vigilantes charged

Police have charged two people over an anti-crime rally at the weekend and in an unrelated incident, a group of vigilantes chasing a stolen car were found with a number of knives.

Detective Inspector Luke Peachey is asking people not to take crime in their own hands.

Rockhampton police have laid trespass charges against two people as they continue to review footage from an anti-crime rally that attracted more than 100 angry residents, with more people expected to be charged.

A number of people entered the backyard of a home during the event on Sunday in Norman Gardens, where they believed a known criminal lived.

In an unrelated incident to the rally, a group in Gracemere were also “chasing a stolen car” on Sunday afternoon and when police pulled over one of the vehicles, they found a “number of weapons”, including edged weapons.

A 19-year-old Rockhampton man has been charged in relation to possessing a knife in a public place in relation to the Gracemere incident.

Capricornia District Detective Inspector Luke Peachey. Picture: Aden Stokes

Capricorn Crime Group Detective Inspector Luke Peachey pleaded with the public to take a deep breath and remain calm as community tension over crime heightens.

“My question is, I wonder what was going to happen if he (the 19-year-old man) actually got a hold of those people and how quickly things could have escalated,” he said in relation to the incident.

“A 19 year old, untrained, trying to take law into in his own hands.

“The last thing we want to see is good people who are frustrated, trying to take law into their own hands, become subjects of charges themselves.

“I 100 per cent understand that people are angry, that they are frustrated.

“I’m a resident here too, I have been here for 25 years now, it disgusts me some of the behaviour that is going on with some of our property offences but the last thing we can have is untrained people going around and trying to take matters into their own hands.”

Sunday’s rally and protests began as a result of a post on Facebook by Rockhampton identity Torin O’Brien’s, calling on the community to take a stand against crime in the town.

More than 100 people attended a public meeting at Central Park and then travelled in convoy to streets across north Rockhampton, knocking on the doors and windows of the suspected homes of alleged offenders.

A road patrol was also held in Gracemere on Wednesday night, where the group visited more alleged addresses.

“We were very aware, like most people we were following with a keen eye,” Insp Peachey said of the Gracemere road patrol.

“We don’t condone any vigilante behaviour, and where there are offences that have been detected police will take action against those persons, I don’t care what side of the stone you come from, if you are committing offences … then you will be charged.

“What we all have to remember is we just have to take a deep breath and remain calm.

“The community is bubbling at the moment.”

After reviewing the footage from the events at the Norman Gardens home, police on Wednesday charged two people with trespass offences and Insp Peachey expects more people will face charges.

“The last thing we want to do is charge these people but they have committed offences,” he said.

“Four people jumped the backyard into someone’s place and they have committed an offence.

“Have your peaceful protests but if you’re detected committing an offence, you will be charged.

“The messaging is … leave it up to police … leave it up to people who are trained.”

An 18-year-old male has been issued a notice to appear for one count of trespass and is expected to appear in court June 14.

A 25-year-old male has also been issued a NTA for one count of trespass and is expected to on June 8.

The group at the public meeting at Central Park, Rockhampton, on Sunday May 7.

Insp Peachey and police met with Mr O’Brien on Thursday morning, where they had a “really good conversation”.

“I think a lot of things came out of that,” Insp Peachey said.

“He gets our point of view, I get his point of view.

“He was in agreeance with me that some of the behaviour went above what he expected on the weekend.”

Insp Peachey acknowledged the public had commented that police weren’t doing their jobs and charges shouldn’t have been laid for the trespassing offences.

He pointed out that in the past week Rockhampton police had arrested more than seven people for a “large amount of property-related offences”.

A 16-year-old Rockhampton boy was also charged with 17 property offences this week.

“We have a designated property team who work 24/7 trying to detect these offences,” he said.

“Police are out there and we are working really hard in this space.

“The last thing we need to be doing is taking resources away from them to go and investigate good people who have become angry and are committing offences. ”