Bricks fly as Hello Health clinic near the notorious Dean Park cops it again
Bricks flew and glass shattered as a South Townsville clinic was left picking up the pieces — again — in the latest burst of chaos spilling out from the notorious Dean Park area. WATCH THE VIDEO.
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Bricks flew and glass shattered as a South Townsville clinic was left picking up the pieces — again — in the latest burst of chaos spilling out from the notorious Dean Park area.
CCTV footage, captured at 3.11am on Saturday, shows a woman hurling bricks through the front windows of Hello Health on Barlow St while screaming in the street and arguing with a man.
“None of you motherf***ers are going to listen to me,” she yells, before shouting, “Call the police!” and “I’m a woman!”
Police have since charged a 35-year-old woman from Palm Island with one count of wilful damage. She’s set to face the Townsville Magistrates Court on April 11.
But clinic owner James Jensen says this isn’t just about shattered glass — it’s a symptom of a system in crisis.
“We’re sick to death of having to clean up the mess left out the front of our business each morning,” he said.
“It’s chaos. And we’re the ones footing the bill.”
Hello Health, which Mr Jensen runs with his family, has copped repeated hits from the disorder spilling out of nearby Dean Park — a known hotspot for rough sleepers, drinking and anti-social behaviour.
He says things have only worsened during the wet season, with out-of-towners flocking to the area and taking shelter under the awning of their shopfronts when it rains.
“Some nights, we’ve had up to 40 people hanging around, drinking, using drugs and carrying on,” he said.
“While our business is a safe area during the day, I’ve had to walk patients out to their cars at times because it does put people on edge.”
Saturday’s attack ruined what should’ve been a rare day off for the Jensens, instead they spent it sweeping up the broken glass and forking out cash to fix it.
“Even the glazier who came to fix the damage said he’s been called out here 90-plus times over 20 years,” he said.
“We’ve only been here for the last two years but I’m already thinking about relocating which is a shame.”
Locals are furious, flooding social media with support and slamming the state of the streets.
“Disgusting behaviour. If the council is going to let people live in the nearby park area and shelter under your awning in bad weather, then a constant police presence is necessary,” one commenter fumed.
“We’ve had the same thing on Charters Towers Road mate at our business. Signage cut, two windows smashed in and more,” said another.
While police officers and council safety officers often conduct patrols in and around Dean Park, Mr Jensen claims the situation hasn’t really been improving.
“The problem is the officers come by, and they settle down, but it’s kicking off again as soon as they leave, so it’s not really doing much to address the crux of the issue here,” he said.
“We need some long-term solutions to make sure people have somewhere safe to stay, away from main roads and businesses who are copping the collateral damage.”
Townsville City Council are currently trialling Citysafe community safety patrols in and around the city centre.
“While Council’s safety patrols trial is a step the organisation has taken to help reduce anti-social behaviour, officers do not have policing powers and cannot investigate property damage or move people on from public spaces,” a council spokesman said.
“Council encourages anyone who has witnessed or experienced property damage or violent behaviour to contact the Queensland Police Service.”
Originally published as Bricks fly as Hello Health clinic near the notorious Dean Park cops it again
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