Truth about policing on the Gold Coast

Modern policing is not like you see in the movies. Amid record calls to service, this is what officers are facing on the Gold Coast.

It is the wont of a news reporter to chase the big stories and big headlines.

Such is the nature of the business. But beyond the eye-catching news of the day, it is sometimes the little moments that are most revealing.

There has been much discussion this week about the youth crime crisis, focused on car theft and the dangerous behaviours that flow from it.

Among the concerns – that police no longer chase stolen vehicles.

It is undoubtedly true that youth crime continues to be a major problem in this city.

It is also true that, when a stolen vehicle is tearing down the
M1 at 160kmp/h, you will not usually see a phalanx of police vehicles,
lights flashing and sirens blaring, travelling at similar speeds in hot pursuit.

However modern policing is not always how it is portrayed in the movies and it is not right to infer that this means there is any resiling by police from the challenge they face, that they are not achieving results – and that they are not showing great bravery in doing so.

Police at the scene of an incident in Upper Coomera at the weekend. Picture: Richard Gosling.

A couple of weeks ago, while driving a busy Gold Coast road after dark, this columnist spotted two figures in the shadows.

They were either side of the road and they were police officers preparing tyre spikes in a bid to halt another night of mayhem from teen offenders.

My first thought was to marvel at their bravery – although much effort has been put into devising the safest possible means to conduct these operations, I can tell you it is not somewhere I would like to stand at night.

Police cannot say much about how they do this work for tactical reasons, but safe to say that with the assistance of tire spikes and Polair the dangerous behaviour of those offenders – including some hair-raising driving – was brought to a halt that night with no serious injuries to the offenders, police officers or members of the public.

A weapon allegedly carried by teenagers in another weekend incident. Picture: 9 News

We saw the same happen again on Sunday when tyre spikes and Polair were again used to bring a terrifying alleged crime spree to a halt in a safe manner. Disturbingly, in that case officers were contending with teenagers allegedly in possession of firearms.

This column was reminded of the bravery of officers in another way on Saturday.

In a sad incident police responded to a call out at an address in Upper Coomera. Scarcely thirty seconds after knocking on the door the house erupted in flames.

The man inside died and there is no suggestion he intended to harm anyone but himself.

However it was a reminder that officers every day knock on doors, attend calls to service, never knowing if there is an unexpected danger they may face.

Police Commission Katarina Carroll told this column that policing was a “dangerous job”.

“It’s always about assessing risk when you go to a job, but every so often there is something unexpected,” she said.

“I have the best and the bravest men and women in Queensland.

“Every day they attend to complex, difficult and often dangerous situations.

“We know fatigue is an issue. But every day we thank them for the amazing job that they do.”

Katarina Carroll, Commissioner of the Queensland Police Service. Picture: Steve Pohlner.

The funeral procession for Damian Leeding leaves the Convention Centre on Tuesday, June 7, 2011. Picture: AAP Image/Dave Hunt.

We cannot forget that this a police force that buried two young colleagues just eight months ago, callously gunned down after responding to a call to service in Wieambilla. On the Gold Coast, too, officers have been lost.

Not far from Saturday’s incident is Damian Leeding Memorial Park, named by a grateful community in honour of the officer shot dead at the Pacific Pines Tavern in June 2011. Amid the youth crime crisis on the Gold Coast it’s worth noting how hard police are working to keep the community safe in the face of offenders with a reckless disregard for everyone’s safety, even their own.

How they also risk their own safety responding to the disturbingly high number of calls they receive about domestic violence incidents.

Or dealing with people whose behaviour is unpredictable because they have reached a terrible moment in their lives and are contemplating suicide.

Amid the understandable frustration about the persistent levels of crime in the city it’s worth, at times, stepping back and observing how hard police officers are working to combat it.

They deserve our thanks.

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