Brisbane floods: Looters suspected of wearing hi-vis to avoid detection

Flood-hit residents of Brisbane’s inner southwest have vented their outrage at new tactics used by suspected looters.

Looters are wearing hi-vis workwear to appear as legitimate clean-up workers, flood-hit residents have claimed.

Members of a Facebook community group for Chelmer and Graceville in Brisbane’s inner southwest have discussed sightings of suspected looters in recent days.

Justin King, of Chelmer, chased off an unmarked vehicle of suspected looters on Tuesday night. He believed they were wearing hi-vis to appear as either tradies or official workers.

Mr King, 48, approached the vehicle after it stopped in front of a house on Harte St, but it drove off before he reached it.

“So it appears the criminal element with no soul are roaming around. Some in hi-vis just checking out properties,” Mr King wrote.

“One walked into a house near Haldane (Street) and Long Street West and (the) owner (who) was home chased them out.

Floods

“Couple suspect ones in hi-vis cruised Harte St today in unmarked vehicles and didn’t get out, just stopped in front of the house for a minute and moved on.

“When I approached they drove off.”

Nina Bergin, a mother in the area, commented on Mr King’s post about how police had checked her 16-year-old daughter’s bag on Tuesday afternoon.

“Notify police. My teenage daughter was out with friends this arv near Graceville SS (State School) and they (police) asked to check all their bags,” Ms Bergin wrote.

“She couldn’t believe people are out to steal. Good to see the police were there.”

Police charged four individuals yesterday for looting flood-hit businesses and homes in South East Queensland.

Police will increase their presence around South East Queensland’s flood-affected homes after reports of a rise in looting.

Operation Uniform Nash has been strengthened after evacuated residents returned to their homes and business to find items including electronics, jewellery, cash and tools, had been stolen.

Detective Inspector David Briese called the looting “unAustralian” and encouraged those who suspect theft is occurring in their area, to contact police and “let them deal with it.

“You’ve got homeowners and business owners that are anxious, they’re away from their dwellings, they are feeling that stress and anxiety about going back to their business and homes, what they’re going to find in relation to the flood water and the damage and now some are finding that they’ve been broken into,” Det Insp Briese said.

“I can’t fathom it, I can’t understand what they must be going through.

“So far we’ve had reports of electronic equipment like ipads and laptops, but also jewellery, cash tools. We had an incident of bait being stolen from a service station.

“If anyone does see anything that they think is suspicious they can approach our officers.

“You’re dobbing in people none of us want to be mates with. Tell us who they are and then we can deal with them.”

Det Briese said the majority of looting was occurring in the Ipswich area including four schools, however, Operation Uniform Nash officers would be available to all southeast areas.

“Just in the last 24 hours, since the teachers and children have been going back to school, we’ve been getting reports that at least four schools have been broken into with the likes of electronic equipment,” he said.

“Some people had to leave in such a hurry that they weren’t able to lock and secure their homes, for the good of their family, making sure their family and children are safe. Others have actually locked up, secured, and returned to find their doors kicked in.

“On one hand we’ve got SES and emergency services out there, helping the community, risking their lives at times, to make sure that people are safe, and helping the people that are being evacuated.

“At the other end of the scale, we’ve got the worst of people taking advantage of other people in the worst of times.

“It’s just so un-Australian.”