Cherbourg Council call for 24/7 police station as community is ‘in fear’ of thieves

A shocking spate of car thefts across the South Burnett has left the community outraged and on edge, with demands for more to be done to combat the flow of stolen vehicles. FULL DETAILS:

The fight to control a shocking spike in stolen vehicles across the region is continuing, with Cherbourg Council calling for more to be done to combat the plague.

A spate of stolen cars and break-ins across the South Burnett region has put the community on edge, even with a recent police operation targeting property crime nabbing more than a dozen alleged offenders.

Residents and even police have targeted in a frightening spate of assaults, car thefts, and property break-ins, which stand in stark contrast to statistics suggesting crime is falling.

Statistics from the Queensland Police Service suggest property crime including unlawful entry, unlawful use of motorcycles and thefts, has remained steady over the past six months and follows a huge peak in July last year.

QPS statistics showing the falling in property crime over the 12 months to March 2022.

At a recent crisis meeting between Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council members and senior QPS detectives, Acting Inspector Scott Stahlhutt said crime in the community had fallen significantly.

But speaking after the meeting, Mayor Elvie Sandow was less than convinced.

“We’ve got to work together. They’ve come in with some stats – I don’t agree with them, to be honest,” she said.

“You put them stats out into the community and they’ll have a different view on it.”

The Mayor told Inspector Stahlhutt and Darling Downs Acting District Officer Danny Shaw that she, along with much of the community, were fed up with the number of stolen cars coming into the Cherbourg township.

Residents have reported to councillors they “don’t feel safe in their homes” and the legal system is “too soft on offenders”.

Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire councillor Leighton Costello and Mayor Elvie Sandow. Picture: Holly Cormack

The council has called for the Cherbourg station to be manned 24/7 and for the return of police liaison officers to the community.

Statistics provided at the meeting and seen by the South Burnett Times, showed offenders charged with crimes in the Cherbourg region were overwhelmingly aged 10 to 19.

In recent weeks, teenagers have allegedly been involved in a spate of terrifying incidents, including a 16-year-old accused of punching a woman in the face and robbing her in a violent attack at Kingaroy.

Multiple teens were also arrested as part of Operation Viper.

Police have arrested 15 people on almost 75 charges as Operation Viper draws to a close. Photo/QPS

The meeting heard youth criminals presented problems for police, particularly in cases of intercepting stolen vehicles and where the safety of the youths involved was heavily weighed against pursuit.

Councillors were told the strategy used by police was often to let thieves run out of petrol rather than pursue the vehicle, as thieves were trying to encourage the police to pursue.

Police say thieves are often inexperienced drivers, using high-powered vehicles and often livestreaming or making Tik Tok videos and hanging out of windows while joy-riding, presenting significant risk.

Offenders also often did not live in Cherbourg, and cars are being stolen from built-up areas, mostly Brisbane and surrounds.

Inspector Stahlhutt said recent incidents “extreme and dangerous for all concerned” and said it was a miracle a tragedy hadn’t occurred yet.

Speaking after the meeting Mayor Sandow said the community “is not feeling safe” and called for a stronger police presence in town.

“We’ve got to come up with a solution to work with the police so we can get some law and order,” she said.

“We’ve got to work with these young offenders and get something happening.”

Celebrating a win after police arrested 15 people on property, weapons and drugs charges are (from left) Kingaroy Detective Sergeant Scott Prendergast and Darling Down Darling Downs District Acting Superintendent Danny Shaw.

Speaking after the closure of Operation Viper, Superintendent Danny Shaw warned criminals they could expect police to continue to target them.

“Our message to those doing the wrong thing is – we will catch up with you and when we do, you will face the consequences of your actions,” he said.

“While this phase of the operation had come to a close, police would continue to target property crime in South Burnett and called on the community to continue to partner with police and report all theft or suspicious activity.”