Victoria Point break-ins spark calls for crime crackdown as parliament to debate youth justice laws

Shopkeepers at a bayside Brisbane shopping centre targeted by ram-raiders more than once a month this year want more protection under new ‘adult crime, adult time’ laws.

A Cheesecake Shop and a hairdressing salon were broken into early Wednesday morning, four days after three other shops in the bayside precinct were raided early Saturday morning. Pictures: Contributed

A group of bayside shopkeepers woken early Wednesday morning by police investigating overnight raids on their shops, hope the state’s new “adult crime, adult time” laws will protect their businesses from further break ins.

The youth justice law bill, which features the LNP’s Making Queensland Safer Laws, is being debated in parliament this week and expected to be legislated before Christmas.

Wednesday morning’s raids are the 14th at HomeCo Victoria Point Town Centre Shopping Centre this year.

Police were unable to respond to questions about whether anyone had been charged in relation to any of the incidents.

However, police have been called to the centre more than 200 times over the year, making arrests at the local bus stop, outside the all-night McDonald’s and near a lane which connects a residential street to the centre, which includes the popular Victoria Point tavern.

The fed-up shopkeepers say the raiders have smashed their way into a hair salon, a convenience store, a tobacco shop, a nail shop, and a cake store, since August.

The smashed window at the Victoria Point Shopping Centre. Picture: Contributed

In the latest attack, overnight on Tuesday, thugs smashed their way into the Cheesecake Shop and The Hair Boutique on the Bay, which had replaced the glass front window in August after a similar invasion.

Tuesday’s night’s strikes came less than four nights after the nearby Queen Facial and Nails salon was raided and the cash till with $600 stolen.

Angry hair salon owner Mark Wainstein said retailers in the area suspected teens after CCTV footage from inside and outside some of the stores and from local residents of all the incidents was handed to police.

He said since August, cash tills with as little as $20 had been ripped out and stolen and four lots of floor-to-ceiling plate-glass windows replaced at an average cost of about $1500 each.

“We got a call at 3am from police to say our shop had been broken into again,” Mr Wainstein said.

“Nobody has been arrested or charged over last night but police think there’s a link to the break-ins three nights ago when the nail shop was done over.

“We have been told that police questioned a juvenile in August after the convenience store, the cigarette shop and my salon were robbed but so far nobody has been caught or punished and those questioned are all back in the community.

“Something has to be done absolutely and Home Co shopping centre needs to support all the shops much more.”

Police crime statistics for 2024 at the Victoria Point Town Centre shopping centre which is owned by HomeCo.

Mr Wainstein said none of the shops kept cash onsite overnight anymore and hoped the clean-up and investigation would not affect hair appointments.

The latest raids prompted an outpouring of anger from local businesses, customers, staff and residents, who have called for the centre to “start taking this seriously” and pay for night security patrols.

Redlands MP Rebecca Young, who campaigned on a platform of harsher penalties for convicted juveniles, said she was ready to take action in parliament today.

“I was made aware of another break in at my local hair salon Hair Boutique at HomeCo last night,” she said.

“The repeated attacks on local small businesses in our community is part of the reason I ran for the seat of Redlands and why I am currently in parliament ready to vote on the Making Queensland Safer Bill.

“This is the first piece of legislation the Crisafulli government will pass to put an end to the youth crime that ran rampant under the previous government.

“I have spoken to the salon owner, who is my local hairdresser, and I have also reached out to the owner of HomeCo to see what further support I can offer to improve safety for these small businesses.”

It has also been a decade-long battle for local resident Maria Sealy who has had her e-petition signed by 950 and paper petition by 450 people to get a gate from the busy all-night centre locked at 10pm.

A shopping trolley is parked in front of a broke window at the Victoria Point shopping centre after a recent break in. Businesses were targeted in August and again on Saturday and again on Wednesday.

Mrs Sealy gave police video footage taken from her CCTV cameras overlooking the back of the shopping centre and along Teak Lane, where the council and the shopping centre management refuse to take control.

“We are absolutely angered and devastated for the businesses that are continuously being targeted,” Mrs Sealy said.

“We had detectives and police here on Saturday after the nail shop was broken into and our footage shows two masked men who were coming and going through the unlocked gate into the shopping centre in the early hours of the morning.

“There were two individuals also early this morning.

“The community is also angry and we have zero tolerance of these activities.

“Businesses and residents have to absorb the costs of the stress, insurance, and safety issues that these thugs create and that creates a ripple effect across the whole area.

“We will be sending an update to the new Police Minister, who we met before the election after the former police minister Mark Ryan visited for the community cabinet held in this area.”

Police data for the past year up to December 11 shows there have been a range of criminal activities in and around the shopping centre precinct in 2024.

Leading the list of offences is “other theft” excluding unlawful entry, with a startling 50 incidents reported this year.

These thefts typically involve opportunistic stealing of items from shops or personal property, raising concerns among local retailers and residents.

Unlawful entry followed as a prominent issue, with 15 cases reported.

This category includes break-ins, often targeting businesses or vehicles, leaving victims with financial losses and a sense of vulnerability.

The town centre shopping centre backs on to a residential estate where residents have complained about drugs, syringes, people defecating, drunken behaviour and where a police officer was seriously assaulted.

Similarly, traffic and related offences have matched this number, highlighting ongoing challenges with road safety in the precinct.

Drug offences were another key concern, with 13 incidents recorded in the past year.

The prevalence of drug-related crimes was also of concern for locals who have called on the local Redland City Council and police to for night-time patrols of the centre to address supply and demand for illegal substances.

There were 10 good order offences, which are acts that disrupt public peace or order and an astounding eight assault cases.

Property damage, fraud, and other offences against the person were also present, with seven, three, and two cases respectively.

Isolated incidents included one case each of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and trespassing or vagrancy, alongside two breaches of the Weapons Act.

The data also revealed 13 cases categorised as “other offences”.

HomeCo, which bought the centre in 2021 for $160 million, said it was co-operating with police and the matters were all part of a police investigation which it could not comment on.

It also said it was aware of the gate into Teak Lane and said it was not concerned about security at the precinct which met national standards at all 40 of its centres.

“We understand the importance of addressing community concerns about safety and security, and the events which took place on the property are being managed directly with the retailers and authorities.”

The property managers are Knight Frank said it would work with the council if they were asked to.