Gold Coast locals turning to Pimpama Civilians Response Group for help after long police wait times

DESPERATE northern Gold Coast residents are turning to a community crime response group to help them in domestic violence situations — despite the area receiving 35 extra cops in the past three months.

DESPERATE northern Gold Coast residents are turning to a community crime response group instead of police despite 35 new officers being permanently stationed at Coomera.

The team of former security guards and defence personnel are attending as many as 10 incidents a week, including domestic violence situations, break and enters, thefts, absconding and stalking.

Two months ago the Bulletin revealed the newly-established group would perform citizen’s arrests and neighbourhood patrols in response to community frustration.

The team of former security guards and defence personnel are attending as many as 10 incidents a week including domestic violence situations. Picture: iStock

Since their inception, group founder Kyal Bones said his team of 17 responders were taking calls seven to 10 times a week.

He said group members understood the potential danger in responding to incidents.

“Members assess the situation before attending, we also take measures to help certain in certain incidents, like taking a female responder to a domestic violence incident,” he said.

“We encourage the community to always call police first, but we are a quick, reactive response team.

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“We can get to a live situation where people are in distress quickly.

“The police in this area do an immense job, but are overworked and under resourced.”

Assistant Commissioner Brian Wilkins said in the past three months, 35 police officers had been introduced at Coomera.

Pimpama residents are fed-up with rising crime in the area. They have formed their own vigilante group to target break-ins, hoons, vandals and crime in general. Photo of Kyal Bones who is heading up the group. Photo by Richard Gosling

“There are two full Rapid Action Patrol (RAP) teams up there, which is 20 police, there’s been an increase of 10 additional permanent staff that happened in June and only just recently I allocated a further five officers,” he said.

Mr Wilkins voiced his concerns about the group, saying the community should leave the policing to them — especially in volatile situations.

“Any job involving violence has significant safety concerns for anybody and we wouldn’t encourage anyone in any shape or form to try and replace a perceived lack of police response,” he said.

PIMPAMA MUM ATTACKED DURING TERRIFYING HOME INVASION

Police Commissioner Ian Stewart was at Coomera District Police Headquarters to discuss new changes that will affect operations at the station. Photo of him (C) with officers (L-R) Snr Sgt Rob Mulhern, Insp Mat Rosevear, Snr Sgt Chris Tritton.

“These are highly volatile situations and people are unpredictable in that environment, police undertake training to de-escalate situations, whereas someone who has no training could very well escalate the situation.

“It could be violent and people could get injured, including themselves. They’re also leaving themselves open to criminal charges.”

Pimpama local Hayley Barter said she was disappointed when police did not attend an incident at her home on September 1.

She said police logged the complaint and waited for a crew that never came.

A police spokeswoman said Saturday night’s incident was reported as a civil matter and there was deemed to be no direct “threats, violence or property damage”.

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Meanwhile a 20-year-old Pimpama local, who would not be named, claimed police failed to turn up to a reported domestic violence dispute in his street on August 24.

A police spokeswoman said there was no record of a call out on that date at that time in the Pimpama area.

Coomera MP Michael Crandon said he was pleased more resources were being injected into the area, but was worried RAP officers would be transient.

“My target is to get 100 permanent officers here,” he said.

“We have 67 (permanent) officers here now, I’m not knocking the police, they’re hanging by the skin of their teeth.”

He said the extra 44 police officers promised by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk had still not eventuated almost a year after she promised they would receive them.

Police Minister Mark Ryan the Gold Coast District would be using mobile policing more regularly.

“Policing is no longer governed by lines on a map, police surge in numbers to wherever they’re needed, whenever they’re needed,” he said.