Gold Coast crime: Gilston on alert over teenagers’ break-in attempt
Residents of a Gold Coast suburb are on high alert following an attempted break-in by a group of teenagers.
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Residents of a Gold Coast suburb are on high alert following reports of suspicious vehicles and an attempted break-in by a group of teenagers.
A Gilston resident posted CCTV images to a Facebook community page of a group of teenagers he said had attempted to break into his property at Pitta Ct about 1.40am Friday.
The resident said a “getaway” driver was parked outside his property while four teenagers attempted to break through the front door.
“They managed to break open the security fly screen door at the back of the house, but were unable to open the glass sliding door,” he said.
“They managed to get away as the police didn’t arrive for over 40 minutes.
“I posted in the Gilston group, four other people have come (forward) saying they tried to break into their homes too.”
Police said officers were called to Pitta Ct about 1.40am after a resident reported he had been woken by a group of four people attempting to break into his property before fleeing in a white hatchback driven by a fifth person.
Officers were called to Hanwood Ct, Gilston, about 3.30am on Friday after a resident reported a van with two occupants loitering.
Earlier that night, a 50-year-old Gilston resident reported a handbag containing a wallet and debit cards had been stolen from an unlocked car parked in their driveway.
The resident said three people went to his front door and stole three pairs of shoes before taking off in a red hatchback.
Police said they patrolled the area but were unable to find the vehicles of interest.
Investigations are ongoing.
Crime wave fears after Arundel police beat left unmanned – August 19, 2020
A GOLD Coast suburb’s police beat has been unmanned for months, sparking renewed concern about police resourcing levels in the city.
The dedicated beat at Arundel has been temporarily closed since June.
The Queensland Police Service said it had not been open in months due to the ill-health of its two station officers, who had not been replaced in the interim. It said there were no plans to permanently close it.
Almost 150 residents signed a petition stating not enough was being done to reopen the beat in a timely manner and it had been closed for “too long”.
“We’ve seen an increase in crime and people not from this area casing the area more often,” it stated.
“There is plenty of evidence on the local neighbourhood watch page.
“Our neighbourhood is a very close community and we all feel the action currently taken to resolve this is not enough and taking too long.
“We were told there would be an increase in police patrols which no-one seems to have seen yet.”
Bonney MP Sam O’Connor said the community outcry over the police beat was a symptom of a bigger concern about numbers of Gold Coast police.
He said officers were doing their best despite a lack of resources.
“When people have a minor issue occur, it takes a long time to get a response or they might not even get a response,” he said.
“I don’t think the police resourcing is enough, particularly in the Southport district, which is a hot spot for car break-ins and domestic violence.”
Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers has alleged there were no patrols in Coorparoo last weekend when ex-Wallaby rugby star Toutai Kefu was hospitalised after a home invasion. Top brass admitted “issues with sick leave”.
The Queensland Government is moving away from static police beat sites, with $1.6 million in the 2021-22 police budget to roll out 25 mobile police beats. Last year the government committed to boost police in Queensland by an extra 2025 over five years, including 150 new positions allocated in total across the Gold Coast and Logan.
A QPS statement said a strong police presence would remain in Arundel, with regular patrols and responses from the central patrol group.
Varsity crime spree: 14yo charged over stolen car – August 13
POLICE are investigating a crime spree in Varsity Lakes amid multiple reports of car thefts and unknown people entering yards.
Officers investigating the incidents have already made one arrest after finding a 14-year-old girl in an allegedly stolen vehicle.
Police found the girl in Epstein Ct at about 3.20am on Wednesday, August 11 while patrolling for two other cars stolen from an address at Yodelay St the same day.
She was charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle. The car she was allegedly found with, a Hyundai Veloster, was reported stolen from Bellbird Park, Ipswich between August 9 and 10.
The cars stolen from the Yodelay address were a 2006 white Landrover with registration 664WJB and a 2019 red MG with registration 212ZEW.
The stolen MG was found undamaged on Shine St, Ipswich about 10am on August 11.
A police spokeswoman said other “suspicious activity” in Varsity Lakes was being investigated.
This includes three reports of people entering the yards of houses at Yodelay St and Darryl Dr between 1am and 3am on Wednesday, August 11.
Investigations are ongoing.
Division 11 councillor Hermann Vorster said residents were fed up with “troublemakers coming from elsewhere into their suburb to run amok”.
“These troublemakers are destroying property, stealing cars and ruining the reputation of one of the Gold Coast’s most family-friendly suburbs,” Cr Vorster said.
“In recent weeks, council has responded with a crime prevention through an environmental design audit of Frascott Park and surrounds and has already redeveloped safety cameras to help gather the evidence police need to find and prosecute these drop kicks.”
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