Gold Coast hoons: Bulletin readers condemn irresponsible drivers after police seize cars, fine 97 people
Gold Coasters have overwhelmingly condemned hoons in the city’s hinterland after a police crackdown saw two cars seized, 97 people fined and six people arrested. HAVE YOUR SAY
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GOLD Coasters have condemned a gathering in the city’s north which saw 97 people fined and six more arrested as part of a police crackdown on hooning.
Two vehicles were also impounded during the incident last week, codenamed Tango Vinyl.
A large police presence intercepted vehicles across the northern Gold Coast, including at a carpark on Tamborine Oxenford Road at Oxenford where a number of cars and people gathered.
When asked whether hooning was an issue on the Gold Coast an overwhelming 94 per cent of readers voted ‘yes’.
Others took to the comments to vent their frustrations over living in areas they say are “rife with hoons”, even suggesting police “call in the army”.
One commenter wrote: “Beenleigh area is rife with hoons, they may be doing burnouts but they still drive through here with their cars and you can’t hear the TV even with the doors shut.”
Another suggested hoons should have their cars seized and destroyed.
“Impound their cars and then when they come to collect their cars put them into the car crusher in front of their eyes, that will slow them up,” they wrote.
“Especially if they’re still paying them off.”
LAST WEEK:
TWO vehicles have been impounded, 97 people fined and six people arrested as part of the crackdown on hooning on the Gold Coast.
As part of the operation, codenamed Tango Vinyl, a large police presence intercepted vehicles across the northern Gold Coast on Saturday night, including at a carpark on Tamborine Oxenford Road at Oxenford where a number of cars and people gathered.
Police seized two vehicles, issued 97 traffic infringement notices and arrested six people.
Acting Chief Superintendent Geoff Sheldon said the targeted operations would continue to disrupt illegal hoon related activity and dangerous driving offences.
“We will continue to proactively address these high risk criminal behaviours that put members of the public in danger,” he said.
OPINION: Why Coast hoons are ruining it for everyone
“Community safety is paramount and a corner stone of the Queensland Police Service. This is not a bit of harmless fun. Their reckless actions could result in serious injury or even death.
“We will continue to target this type of behaviour and our officers remain focused on investigating and taking action against those involved.”
Anti-hooning laws will soon be strengthened in Queensland to hold the registered owner of a vehicle responsible for any hooning activity carried out in that vehicle. The new legislation will make it easier for police to take enforcement action against mass gatherings of hoons.
POLICE: HOONS TURN ON THEMSELVES
SPECTATORS filming burnouts at a car meet were “turned on” by the crowd who believed they were helping authorities, police say, as six more cars were impounded during a hoon crackdown on the Gold Coast.
Police say they have arrested five people — charging them with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and drink and drug driving — and issued 79 offences fines during the Glitter Strip anti-hooning blitz this month.
Acting Chief Superintendent Geoff Sheldon said police were out in force on Saturday night targeting another hoon meet in Upper Coomera.
He said the event attracted a smaller crowd compared to a week ago, in which 1000 people and 600 cars crammed into a Bunnings car park at Pimpama and turned on police.
“The actual crowd standing around were less. We’re hoping they got the message that you’ll be targeted if you’re attending these events, whether you’re a driver or just a spectator,” he said.
Police footage from the event showed cars performing dangerous burnouts, close to small crowds. On one occasion, a man sat on the spoiler of a vehicle during a dangerous stunt.
He said footage from the hoon event at Pimpama a week earlier proved vital for police, and it appeared many on Saturday night were uneasy about the dangerous antics being filmed.
“They somewhat turned on themselves. If you were in the crowd filming the burnouts with your phone, you found yourself targeted by people there, suspicious that you might have been assisting us,” Chief Supt Sheldon said.
“Because … last weekend a lot of our arrests have come from phones we’ve seized and footage that’s been found on mobile phones.
“Maybe they’re going to turn away from social media; I suspect not. It’s the gratification of doing the incident, and then reaching it and reliving it and sharing it, that seems to be what excites these people.”
Police say they have identified a small group of people believed to be responsible for running the events.
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“We’re proactively targeting them. If they’re going to participate in this sort of anti-social behaviour they can face the full extent of the law,” Chief Supt Sheldon said.
A 21-year-old Burpengary man was also charged with possessing fireworks and a string of driving offences. Police are investigating whether he was involved in firing the fireworks at police at the out-of-control hoon meet at Pimpama.
He is accused of driving dangerously, at high speed and through multiple red lights on the Gold Coast.
He allegedly travelled at high speed on the wrong side of the road in Brisbane’s north.
“It’s a privilege to drive on the roads in Queensland and we’re quite happy to take that privilege off you if you’re not going to give a damn about your own safety or the safety of anyone else in the community,” Chief Supt Sheldon said.
Police investigations are ongoing.
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