No cop shop for Victoria Point crime hotspot where teen arrested for allegedly assaulting police
A southside shopping centre crime hotspot where residents claim youths are out of control and running riot will be on the list for more police patrols but not a new police station. VIDEO
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A southside shopping centre crime hotspot where residents claim youths are out of control and running riot will not get a new police station, despite a 10-year campaign.
However, the Police Commissioner will be asked to investigate increasing mobile police patrols at Victoria Point Shopping Centre, where two teens were charged this week with public nuisance and resisting arrest.
Police Minister Mark Ryan said he would speak to Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll about stepping up patrols at the centre, which includes a 24-hour McDonald’s and a tavern.
It is also where the 14-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl were arrested.
The boy was charged with public nuisance and contradicting a police direction and the girl was charged with public nuisance and assaulting police.
The area neighbours Thornlands where residents have also complained about the lack of police station and rising crime after a cigarette and tobacco store was set on fire in June.
But Mr Ryan ruled out building a new police station at Victoria Point, claiming mobile police patrols were all that were needed and would allow police to be flexible and “at the right place at the right time”.
“A police station at Victoria Point would be a matter for the commissioner, but ultimately, for spots like Victoria Point and the nearby laneway, mobile police patrols are better,” he said.
“I have been told that this part of the world, Redlands and Cleveland, is well supported by police.
“Bricks and mortar have their place but it’s much better for police to be on the beat, visible, and flexible about their deployment.
“It seems that the community does have some concerns and we’ve given the police service a dedicated funding package for high visibility police patrols.”
He also said he was heartened by statistics showing the southeast had the second highest number of juvenile offenders being dealt with outside the criminal justice system by way of cautions or drug diversion programs.
Police data released in June showed there were 1307 youth offenders in the South East Police District, which includes Redland and Logan, who were not charged with an offence but were cautioned or put on a drug program.
North Coast Region had the highest number of juvenile offenders who escaped charges with 1289 in Brisbane and only 747 in the Northern Police region.
“Research and evidence shows that for young people who are not yet entrenched in the criminal justice system, one or two interactions with support services including the police is very, very successful for keeping them out of the system for good,” Mr Ryan said.
“So it’s not such a bad thing to be saying that people are diverted or cautioned because it means that they’re getting support services to keep them out of the system.
But Victoria Point residents said they had been forced to install CCTV cameras to protect their properties from late-night crime after a police officer was allegedly assaulted in nearby Teak Lane, which runs behind the shops.
Resident Maria Sealy said stepping up the mobile police patrols was not enough and called for a gate between houses and the shopping centre and tavern to be locked after 10pm.
“This is more rhetoric from the Police Minister, who is not taking our situation seriously,” she said.
“Just this week, we have had police chase a woman through the laneway at 4am and one afternoon there was a man exposing himself in the laneway.
“The drug crime keeps escalating and the offenders in this area just keep getting younger – I have it all on videotape.
“If they are not going to have a full-time mobile police van in this shopping centre the minister and commissioner both need to sit down and talk to the three shopping centres in the area about preventative safety measures to protect the local residents.
“We are sick of being the victims of crime and this could be resolved with some police and security guards at the shopping centre.”
Startling statistics released overnight showed that there were 200,000 victims of crime in Queensland.
Mr Ryan said even one instance of crime was shocking for those affected by it.
He said the government had doubled its efforts, investing more in police resources, diversion intervention services, and additional police personnel to combat the problem.
“We’re working really hard with the police service to ensure that there’s proactive strategies in place around areas in communities where people are concerned,” he said.
“And certainly this area, at Victoria Point, seems that the community does have some concerns.
“We’ve actually given the police service a dedicated funding package for this very purpose.”
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Originally published as No cop shop for Victoria Point crime hotspot where teen arrested for allegedly assaulting police
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