Eshay alert: Who are the young crims targeting Indooroopilly Shopping Centre?

A recent spate of shocking daylight thefts and assaults at one of Queensland’s biggest shopping centres has been blamed on a new breed of style-conscious young crims.

Brazen “eshays’’ have been blamed for the latest spate of thefts and assaults near Indooroopilly Shopping Centre (ISC) in Brisbane’s inner-west.

In one incident on the weekend an elderly lady was robbed of her handbag, and in another case a customer leaving the centre laden with shopping bags was rammed by a woman with a pram — which had a child inside — before the thief ran off.

Gangs have also been stripping young customers of their designer shoes and phones.

Shoppers say gangs of eshays — who wear brand name sports clothes, Nike TN shoes and distinctive bumbags — prowl outside the centre, from the bus stop, along Station Rd and down to Indooroopilly train station, as some are known to police and banned from entering ISC.

Eshays are characterised by their love for Nike TNs, and sometimes rob others of their shoes.

ISC has a police beat which operates Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Indooroopilly Police Station, which is metres away on Moggill Rd, conducts regular patrols of surrounding streets.

ISC general manager, Steven Ihm, said the safety and security of their customers and staff was a priority.

“We work closely with local police and other community stakeholders to ensure we maintain a comfortable and safe environment for those who visit and work in our centre,’’ he said

“This includes a comprehensive security management program, which is constantly reviewed and adjusted in line with the needs of the community.’’

The centre has 24-hour security patrols and CCTV coverage, including of the bus stop adjacent to the centre on Musgrave Rd.

Signage has also been installed at the bus stop displaying a 24-hour security phone number.

Eshays _ young crims who dress in Nike TNs and wear bumbags _ have been blamed for a spate of recent thefts at Indooroopilly.

The QPS online crime map showed there were 56 offences reported to police last month in the area, one-fifth of all offences in Indooroopilly.

Thirty-five of those were at ISC, two on Station Rd near the centre and 19 at or near the train station.

Most (29) were thefts, although there were three assaults and two public nuisance offences at the train station.

Indooroopilly Police officer-in-charge, Sgt Shane Hancock, said they were aware of the incidents and targeted patrols from Lantos Place to Station Rd.

“Two males were arrested (in relation to the theft from the elderly lady) and one is still in custody. Members of the public came forward with information, which was of help,’’ Sgt Hancock said.

“We ask people to be vigilant with handbags and personal property, and lock their cars.

“If you see suspicious activity take note of what the (offenders) were wearing and where they went — this could be the missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle we need.

“A lot of the juveniles are not locals, they’re transients coming off the train line.

“It’s a cyclically emerging issue. We arrest a few kids and they move on elsewhere for a while — it has been an historical thing from time to time.’’

One resident posted last week that a friend’s daughter, who was carrying bags of shopping, was followed outside before being assaulted and robbed.

Indooroopilly Shopping Centre.

“Beware shoppers at Indooroopilly Shoppingtown! Friend’s daughter was followed with bags of shopping when this woman waited outside Kmart,’’ she posted.

“When she walked out she was assaulted and her bags were stolen.

“The saddest thing about this thief is she had a baby in the pram and used it to ram into the friend’s daughter.

“It was during the day (on Monday last week) ... (she) escaped with a car waiting.’’

One Indooroopilly mother whom Westside News spoke to said her son had been confronted three times.

“He has had three experiences so far and his friends have also been chased: one had his jacket stolen,’’ she said.

“Yesterday (August 30) I heard one of his friends was worried about walking to Indro high school from the shopping centre by himself as he was being followed.

“I think the police have moved most of them on from the shopping centre now, but they are still hanging around outside.’’

Another posted that some young people had been mugged while walking up Station Rd towards the shopping centre.

“I asked a police officer at Indro Shops what was going on. He said Indro Shops have become a hang out for eshay gangs,’’ she posted.

“He said those who have been banned from the shops now target people outside.’’

Roving gangs of teens target Indooroopilly train station.

Another resident posted: “Yes, my son & his friends have been targeted several times for their shoes, clothes, money & phones.’’

In April a boy, 13, was assaulted by a group of teens on scooters at the train station.

“They tried to steal his phone and shoes,’’ his mother said at the time.

“He was punched in the eye, and will have a horrific black eye.’’

And in September last year police charged four teenage girls who allegedly filmed themselves attacking and robbing another child in broad daylight at the bus station.

The girl’s mother claimed her teenage daughter was punched repeatedly in the head, had her hair pulled and her clothes torn in front of horrified onlookers.

The mother also alleged the ordeal was filmed by one of the youths and posted to social media.

While the problem is usually kept well under control, it has bubbled up from time to time for at least the past two decades.

As far back as 1998 The Courier-Mail reported networks of drug dealers were offering $20 “starter packs’’ of heroin to children as they got off buses at the shopping centre.