Northern Gold Coast cries out for more cops in the Glitter Strip’s DV epicentre

RESIDENTS in the Gold Coast’s fast-growing north want a new police hub as under-resourced officers confront a domestic violence epidemic.

Police at a crime scene in Upper Coomera. Picture: Jerad Williams

RESIDENTS in the Gold Coast’s fast-growing north want a new police hub as under-resourced officers confront a domestic violence epidemic.

The Coomera and Nerang policing divisions with 101 officers are facing a surge of DV-related incidents compared to Southport with 99 police, statistics obtained by the Bulletin reveal.

Coomera, Mudgeeraba and Nerang police attended to 792 DV-related incidents in 2017 and processed 756 applications for orders. There were 699 breaches.

By comparison, Southport had 392 incidents, 443 police applications and 596 orders all related to domestic violence.

Police at a crime scene in Upper Coomera. Picture: Jerad Williams

150 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES A WEEK ON THE GOLD COAST

Coomera MP Michael Crandon said: “As you can see, with just 68 officers as at July 1 this year the Coomera police division has by far the highest number of DV cases.

“Police tell me that on average it takes four hours per incident, at the time of the call for service.”

Residents contacted The Bulletin in the past week to complain it takes more than two hours for police to respond to a late night call after burglars attempted to enter their home.

The E-petition to Parliament — www.parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-assembly/petitions/petition-details?id=3018 — calls for a new police hub in Ormeau-Pimpama and urgent request for an extra 35 officers.

Ten new schools had been built in the past 10 years and with two additional new campuses opening in the next two years it was clear the boom in population demands the need of a new policing resources, the petition said.

One of the residents offering support on Mr Crandon’s Facebook page wrote: “I go through at least 20 plus speed cameras a week, the last time I was stopped for an RBT was in 2008.”

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A domestic violence crime scene in Pimpama. Pic Jono Searle.

A separate petition from a resident signed by more 800 people was tabled early last month calling for a police hub in the corridor which had experienced an almost 300 per cent population growth from 2011 to the 2016 census.

“In that time, daylight robberies and other corresponding violent crimes have increased unhindered and largely under policed,” the petition said.

GOLD COAST’S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CRISIS

Mr Ryan said police services in Ormeau and Pimpama were delivered by Coomera Police Station which provided round the clock police capability.

In June 2018, the Queensland Police Service provided 10 full-time permanent, additional positions to the Coomera division to meet community needs,” he wrote.

“Two Rapid Action & Patrol Group teams were also deployed to the Coomera Police complex. Policing services are also delivered in the Norfolk Village area by two officers stationed at the Neighbourhood Police Beat.”

There are a large number of calls in the city’s north. Pic Jono Searle.

In a high priority situation, any available officer could be tasked to respond, he said.

“Gold Coast police have the flexibility to move resources when needed to ensure community safety,” he said.

A Tasking and co-ordination Centre helped provide a more efficient and effective response to calls for service, he added.

Mr Crandon said his hope was to get more support for the latest petition so the issue could be debated in Parliament.

Mr Crandon told Mr Ryan if the solution was recreating the Coomera police district, removed under the previous Campbell Newman Government, it should happen.

“If you want to blame Newman from six years ago for your failings now, go ahead. I’m past caring how you get our extra front line police into Coomera, just get them there,” he said.