‘Toolies’ behind majority of Schoolies trouble as wanding blitz reveals weapons

Police issued almost 120 infringement notices during the first week of Schoolies on the Gold Coast and tipped out more than 1200 containers of alcohol being consumed on the streets.

Police have praised the behaviour of Queensland school-leavers at the Gold Coast Schoolies, despite dozens of arrests.

The first week of Schoolies wrapped up on Saturday morning with weary Queensland graduates checking out of their hotels before the next wave of NSW school-leavers arrive.

Gold Coast police acting chief superintendent Rhys Wildman said 165 people had been arrested on 240 charges in Week 1 of the festival.

Gold Coast District Acting Chief Superintendent Rhys Wildman and who helped manage and supervise border operations at the Tweed Border. Picture Glenn Hampson

But only 53 of them were actual schoolies as the tradition continued of older troublemakers, known as “toolies”, causing the most problems for police.

He said most of the arrests were for street offences, with a small number busted for drugs.

Police issued almost 120 infringement notices - the vast majority to non-schoolies - and tipped out more than 1200 containers of alcohol being consumed on the streets.

Supt Wildman said a police “wanding” blitz, in which police used metal detectors to scan 918 revellers for weapons, led to 32 people being charged with 42 offences.

Schoolies at the barricade for the Silent Disco at Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast. Picture: Ashleigh Jansen.

Eighteen people were fined for e-scooter offences, only seven of them schoolies.

Police seized seven weapons, including a knife being carried by a 13-year-old up his sleeve.

Supt Wildman said the wanding operation would continue during Week 2 of Schoolies.

“We’re still having a very robust policing operation for the coming week at all hours of the day and night,” he said.

“We have a very low tolerance for poor behaviour here on the Coast.”

Queensland Ambulance Service acting senior operations supervisor Dion Marr said 446 patients were treated at the Schoolies emergency centre, with 46 taken to hospital.

These included 11 on Friday night as revellers “went fairly hard” on the final night.

Mr Marr said intoxication was up slightly at this year’s Schoolies but attendances were also higher.