Call for police patrols stepped up after unconscious woman revived in Victoria Point crime hotspot

Quick-thinking residents of a bayside street have helped save the life of a young woman who was found unconscious in a crime hotspot, near a busy shopping centre. | VIDEO

Emergency services were called to Teak Lane and Sycamore Pde after a woman was found unconscious. Pictures: Contributed

Quick-thinking residents of a bayside street have helped save the life of a young woman who was found unconscious in a known crime hotspot.

Police were called to Sycamore Pde, a street backing on to HomeCo’s Victoria Point shopping centre on Thursday, July 11, after residents found the woman lying on the ground.

Shocking CCTV footage shows police arriving at the scene while paramedics work to revive the woman who was taken to hospital.

Other video footage shows paramedics putting the woman into an ambulance with police at the scene, which backs on to Teak Lane, a street which runs behind the busy shopping precinct.

Police said their role in the incident was limited to assisting paramedics and nobody was arrested and no charges laid.

The yellow mark signifies the open laneway between the Victoria Point shopping centre and the residential estate. Pictures: Contributed

Residents said the incident was the last in a long line of incidents that have resulted in police being called including a man defecating in the laneway in broad daylight, a police officer seriously injured after being beaten at night in May 2022 and speeding motorised vehicles and bikes.

In 2019, residents, whose properties backed on to the shopping centre, lodged a parliamentary petition calling for a Police Beat for the retail precinct, which includes a tavern, a full-range bottle shop and a 24-hour McDonald’s.

In August last year, Police Minister Mark Ryan ruled out a police beat but said mobile patrols were in place across the entire area.

This week, residents stepped up their push for a permanent police van and more officers at Victoria Point and Redland Bay and started a second petition, which they expect will be tabled next month.

They have also united to call for a council and police crackdown on crime in the lane and have written to the shopping centre management and local Redland City Council asking them to lock a gate between Teak Lane and the shopping centre after 10pm.

Teak Lane resident and principal petitioner Maria Sealy said this week she had found used hypodermic syringes thrown into bushes near her back fence.

“The young lady was unconscious when paramedics arrived,” Ms Sealy said.

“We feel for the young lady and also the emergency services as this is not the first time this type of incident has occurred here.

“Drugs are one of the problems in this precinct, and paraphernalia is often found near here.

“We have requested CCTV cameras in Teak Lane since the shopping centre was built.”