Detective Inspector Steve Hollands steps in to lead East Crime Group
The top cop in charge of a Brisbane crime group plans to take on criminals in the eastern bayside suburbs who are bringing in some of the most dangerous drugs including meth, cocaine and heroin. FIND OUT HOW
Southeast
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The new cop in charge of a Brisbane police group has vowed to tackle criminal activity bringing some of the most dangerous drugs into bayside suburbs.
Detective Inspector Stephen Hollands, who has been a policeman for 37 years, is the new leader of the East Crime Group, which covers Wynnum, Cleveland, Capalaba, Redland Bay and the Moreton Bay islands.
The group also includes the Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB), Child Protection Investigations Unit (CPIU), Tactical Crime Squad, Intelligence and Crime Manager and works collaboratively with officers from local stations.
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Insp Hollands said it was a pleasure to lead the group and believed Wynnum and Redlands were among the safest places to live in Queensland.
However, he has vowed to work with locals to find a way to put a dint in the drug underbelly, which has been a major concern in the area in recent years.
“This is not solely a policing issue, it is a whole of society issue,” Insp Hollands said.
“All our police are very proactive in targeting drug offending and we see a wide spectrum of drug use, including cannabis, amphetamines, cocaine and heroin.
“This obviously is a major area of concern for us and we need help from the community to address it, their information allows us to tackle these problems.
“Every bit of information or intelligence can be of assistance to us.”
Drugs have continued to plague the usually quiet, unassuming streets of bayside suburbs with several suburbs including Wynnum and Wynnum West recently named in the top 15 suburbs across Brisbane for drug offences.
But Insp Hollands said the high number of charges in the area, which also included a 40 per cent rise from February to March this year, meant police were making progress in addressing the issue.
Insp Hollands said while they had managed to reduce property crime (burglaries, unlawful use of motor vehicles and stealing from motor vehicles) as well as offences including assaults, robberies and sexual offences, these areas were still a major focus for his group.
“I know that these types of (property) crime can have serious impacts on victims,” he said.
“My parents were victims and there is a real feeling of being violated and this can have long lasting effects.
“We are highly motivated to solve these offences and would ask the community to assist us in a number of ways such as locking their homes, review your security system, be mindful to hide your vehicle keys, secure your valuables and keep a record of your valuables as photos can assist us.
“As far as assaults, robberies and sexual offences, the majority of these offences are committed in private places and by persons known to the victim, we still ask the community to remain vigilant and to always consider their own personal safety.
“This includes being mindful of your surroundings, especially at night. We ask people to keep to well lit open spaces and not to go to isolated places. We also ask them to look around to see who else is near them and not to be distracted by mobile phones.”
Insp Hollands said he looked forward to working with residents to make the community a safer place.