Gold Coast youth crime: Paradise Point wants more police, CCTV cameras
Residents in an up-market Gold Coast suburb fear someone will be hurt as young “wannabe thugs” on bicycles terrorise the area.
Gold Coast
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RESIDENTS and retailers in an up-market Gold Coast suburb fear someone will be hurt as young “wannabe thugs” on bicycles terrorise the area.
Paradise Point businesses claim there has been a spike in youth crime in the gentrified hub – popular with some of the city’s wealthiest people – but most are refraining from talking publicly out of fear of being targeted.
But FoodWorks owner Mandy Gray said “enough is enough” after her store was robbed in the latest incident on Saturday by an alleged juvenile offender.
A boy was allegedly caught stealing an energy drink when he threatened staff with an electric device, believed to be some sort of taser.
A 15-year-old boy was dealt with under the Youth Justice Act.
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Ms Gray said theft from her store, especially during school holidays, had resulted in product price increases and bans for offenders.
“It’s not fair for my business, my staff and residents in the area,” she said.
“These wannabe thugs, who are often are seen on bikes, need to be stopped and we need action now and quickly.
“We have an excessive amount of stealing in our shop. It’s a vicious cycle – we call police, the culprits get a slap on the wrist and then they come back.”
FoodWorks staff member Caleb Mercer, who started his shift not long after Saturday’s incident, said staff were “shaken up”.
“They didn’t expect anything like this would happen and it was a big shock,” he said.
Paradise Point Newsagency manager Jason Hulman said brazen attacks on the street were not uncommon and it wouldn’t be long before someone was “badly hurt”.
“It’s either going to be the kids or a member of the public and I worry the kids won’t get the blame,” he said.
“These teens on bikes are not just stealing but trying to run down people on the street and holding onto cars too. Last week I was confronted by three kids on bikes at 3.30am on Bayview Street when I was driving to work.
“I blame parents – they need to control their kids. It makes me mad police are on the border and not here.”
A resident, who didn’t want to be named, said: “Paradise Point is not the suburb it used to be. We’ve had a break in and everything was taken. We see the kids on bikes around the streets all the time and they are dangerous.”
Paradise Point Fruit Market owner Brett Woodford said the youth gang-type behaviour was worse during school holidays but police had responded quickly to call-outs.
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Division 4 councillor Cameron Caldwell, who has a Paradise Point office, said there was “concerning behaviour from juveniles visiting the suburb from outside the city and more police resources and stronger penalties for juvenile offenders is the only answer”.
He said council had invested in new CCTV and would continue to expand it to help police catch and deter criminal activity.
Gold Coast Police Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler said police dealt with Saturday’s incident swiftly.
“It’s school holidays, we do see from time to time unfortunately young people stealing food, stealing soft drinks … and of course we’ll take appropriate action where we get those reports,” Supt Wheeler said.
He said police were aware of teens riding bikes recklessly in the area, but unaware of a group of teens on bikes committing property offences.
Dean Shelton, who runs a Facebook crime page for Hope Island and has been lobbying council for extra CCTV, said while crime spiked during school holidays, Paradise Point recorded fewer offences by youths than around transit hubs such as Helensvale and Coomera.
“You will find in every suburb petty crime or youths committing crimes will increase during school holidays periods,” he said.
It was revealed in June youth crime was “out of control” in canal streets of Benowa Waters.
After a string of robberies, mainly luxury cars, residents formed a neighbourhood watch group.
Resident and real estate agent Critton Astras said “the vigilantes” were patrolling the area after 10pm with baseball bats and in some cases guns.
Bonney MP Sam O’Connor has raised concerns about break-ins in Parkwood and Arundel and is calling for more police resources in the suburbs rather than on Queensland border patrol.
Police have recently raised fears Gold Coast police stations will be depleted as resources are doubled to stop Victorians entering Queensland from July 10.
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Queensland Police have confirmed teenagers from Logan and Beenleigh are causing havoc in Coast suburbs thanks to improved train and tram access allowing young crooks to be transient.
Businessman Stefan Ackerie said he visited the area often but had not seen untoward activity.
“I feel really sad about the problems with youth today and I urge young people to think twice because what you do now will affect your future,” he said.
“Respect your name, don’t tarnish it because it’s the greatest gift you have been given.”
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