Cops ‘helpless’, residents terrified as young crims wreak havoc

Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll will fly to Townsville after three weeks of unrelenting and violent youth crime leaving cops feeling “defeated” and locals terrified. SEE THE VIDEO

Police in Townsville feel “helpless” and “defeated” after three weeks of unrelenting and violent youth crime plaguing their city.

On a single day last week in the space of six hours officers were called to 120 jobs, most involving stolen cars, as cops the North Queensland town battle the worst spate of crime many had ever seen.

One Townsville station has no police vehicles left, and is being forced to borrow cars from surrounding precincts. It’s understood eight of the region’s 139-car fleet are sidelined in Townsville.

In the last week alone more than 60 cars have been stolen and 150 homes broken into, with the young criminals turning on the police targeting their cars and the officers in them across multiple nights.

Townsville mum Melissa Young-Florence broke down in tears while talking about how she was chased and rammed by youths in a stolen car on December 7. Picture: Natasha Emeck

The conditions have become so bad, one officer speaking anonymously to The Courier-Mail said “it’s the worst it’s ever been in respect of the level of intended harm to emergency services,” a source said.

“Officers feel helpless and fear for their safety. They will keep turning up for work to keep the community safe, but they worry what is being done to keep them safe.”

Multiple police sources told The Courier-Mail how officers are afraid to go to work as juveniles target police cars – and now ambulances – night-after-night.

Sources say they are “fighting a losing battle” and were “torn apart” after a night of carnage last week where more than 120 jobs were called in over just six hours, most of those involving stolen cars.

So out of control has the issue become, officers from the specialist Public Safety Response Team (PSRT) have been flown into the city to catch the young criminals.

A terrified Townsville mum broke down in tears as she relived the terror she felt when a group of young criminals chased and rammed her across Townsville in a stolen car while she was out buying Christmas gifts.

Arthur and Melissa Young-Florence outside Stocklands Shopping Centre where Melissa was targeted by youths in a stolen car. Picture: Natasha Emeck

Melissa Young-Florence has just left a Townsville shopping centre in her Land Cruiser when she was suddenly targeted by young car thieves in Aitkenvale last Thursday.

She said masked juveniles in a stolen Ford Everest — which also rammed two police cars last week — began ramming her car around 6.30pm and followed her through the streets of Aitkenvale as she desperately tried to lose them.

When she pulled up near a school to call triple-0, the youths rammed the driver’s side of her car, and one of them got out to confront her.

CCTV of youths in a stolen Ford Everest ramming a mum's LandCruiser in Vincent on December 7.

“He threatened me and said: ‘Don’t f**k with our gang, you f***ing b*ch,” she said.

“They took a weapon out and started smashing the glass of the back of my LandCruiser.”

The youths continued to tail her when she returned home to Vincent, and she began to scream at the top of her lungs as they rammed her again, pushing her car onto the kerb.

“Four kids hopped out of the car. My neighbour thinks one of them had a gun, and another came to my window with a wrench to hurt me,” she said.

“One of my amazing neighbours, Damien, chased them off.

CCTV of youths in a stolen Ford Everest ramming a mum's LandCruiser in Vincent on December 7.

“I’ve never been so scared in my life. You don’t know what it feels like.

“They were ready to kill me.”

It’s understood the young criminals are a mix of seasoned juvenile offenders, and new crooks from places like Cairns and Palm Island who police hadn’t seen before.

“It’s a generation of kids who have no respect for anything,” a police officer said.

“New kids, old kids, there’s no simple fix to a festering decline of parenting.”

On Monday night, sources say one police crew had three separate stolen cars drive at them. Another police car had their tyres slashed.

“We feel useless and embarrassed,” another source said.

“There’s nothing we can do after our pursuit powers were taken away.

“All you can do is just turn on your bodycam and record everything.”

While no officers had been seriously injured in the rammings, sources say the mental toll was more significant.

“Mentally, we are f – ked.”

The Courier-Mail understands the Townsville Watchhouse was “chockers” on Tuesday, with staff calling for back-up and a “line of police cars” waiting outside to get in.

Townsville District Officer Chief Superintendent Chris Hodgman said they charged eight offenders on 138 charges within 24 hours on Monday, bringing the total arrests for Operation Victor Romney up to 20.

Chief Superintendent Chris Hodgman. Picture: Shae Beplate.

One of the recent arrests was a 13-year-old Wulguru boy allegedly linked to the stolen car ram raids on a number of businesses on Saturday.

The boy has been charged with 51 offences, including 13 counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, 11 counts of entering the dwelling, and one count each of robbery, arson and assault.

He was refused bail and is due to appear in Townsville Children’s Court at a later date.

Chief Supt Hodgman said there were still “several” outstanding targets on their list that police would continue to target this week.

He said the level of offending had increased for many of the city’s high-risk youths.

“When we talk about 13 and 15-year-olds out committing life imprisonment offences at night … It is absolutely terrible for the community,” he said.

Townsville Labor MPs Les Walker and Aaron Harper said they had raised the region’s crime issues with potential premier candidates this week.

Mr Harper – who supported Deputy Premier Steven Miles as the state’s new leader – said Mr Miles “understands the situation” in regards to youth crime in Townsville.

“We know it’s a serious problem and we want it fixed.”

Police Minister Mark Ryan said the Commissioner would be in Townsville on Wednesday.

Commissioner Katarina Carroll said she was closely monitoring the situation in Townsville and is being briefed multiple times each day.

She intended to visit police stations and the Operations Command Centre on her visit north.