North Quay Drive residents’ plan to put boom gate on Gold Coast island to fight burglaries

A group of Gold Coast residents want to put a boom gate at the entrance to their community to stop crooks in the latest vigilante response to crime in suburbia.

A group of residents want to put a boom gate on a tiny Gold Coast island to stop crooks in the latest vigilante response to crime in suburbia.

Homeowners at North Quay Drive in Biggera Waters say they have been stung more than a dozen times in the past 12 months. The offences include theft, unlawful entry and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

Adrian Zulian has been burgled three times in two years and wants to close off the island each night with a boom gate.

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Footage of a stranger entering a yard on the Gold Coast, caught on the security camera of a Pacific Pines resident who had been robbed.

“We see it all the time here and just want it to stop, it just keeps happening,” Mr Zulian said.

“Police can only do so much, we have had cars stolen here, houses broken into. What we want is prevention.

“There is only one road in and out of the island. We have approached council about putting in a boom gate up the top just so we can shut down the street in certain time of the night, or at least have CCTV there.

“We have even spoke about getting a security guard.”

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Residents in a number of Gold Coast suburbs have decided to take matters into their own hands to tackle break-ins. In some instances, homeowners at Sorrento and Benowa Waters are paying about $250 a year for security patrols and a Civilian Response Team (CRT) has been set up at Pimpama, where CCTV footage is shared.

Footage of a stranger entering a yard on the Gold Coast, caught on the security camera of a Pacific Pines resident who had been robbed.

A replica of a ring that was stolen from the family.

In Pacific Pines, residents have pooled video footage and hired a private detective in an effort to catch a crook stealing jewellery. Cameras recorded images of what looks to be the same man running up and down the streets, knocking on doors in the middle of the day.

Other suburbs have Facebook pages routinely warning of criminal behaviour.

A number of instances have been reported across the Coast this year, in which crooks have broken into homes to get car keys and then drive out the front gate. Many of those crimes were committed by juveniles.

Queensland police crime map figures show unlawful entry offences have risen 5 per cent to 3976 cases on the same period last year. Overall theft is down 21 per cent.

Gold Coast police Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler said crime figures fluctuated constantly, and offences for most crimes were either trending down or maintaining similar levels to previous years.

He said a specialist property crime taskforce, codenamed Latro, was targeting recidivist offenders.

“We actively patrol all of our suburbs and we do target identified areas. We work on intelligence-driven information and move our resources throughout the district as needed,” Supt Wheeler said.

Resident Adrien Zulian at the spot where they want the boom gate. Picture Glenn Hampson

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He said information from the public was “instrumental” in combating crime and urged people not to take the law into their own hands.

Supt Wheeler also highlighted private security had no more legal authority than a member of the public and did not have police powers.

A Townsville man who runs a local crime Facebook page was recently charged for alleged vigilante behaviour in the city.

Supt Wheeler said police had not received information about vigilante groups on the Coast.

“Nowhere in the world can the police be on every street corner, on every road, in front of every house all time … so the eyes and ears of the community are critical to preventing and solving offences.

“The issue is when it’s taken a step further and we see behaviour … where people may want to take the law into their hands … and there would be legal ramifications in doing that.”

A spokesman for Pimpama CRT said the presence of a community crime watch group had helped residents feel at ease.

“We know crime comes in peaks and right now Pimpama is OK but it helps that people know we are there and can get access to the CCTV in the area,” the group member said.

“The footage we get from members has led to arrests. It is the community coming together to help each other out.”

“With our data base we can email people living in a certain area and they can send the footage anonymously. We can catch a crime from all angels if need be.”

Resident Adrien Zulian at the spot where they want the boom gate. Picture Glenn Hampson

The member said the group was also called upon by police to help source CCTV footage as part of the investigation into the execution-style murder of bikie Shane Bowden in October.

In Pacific Pines, Cindy Spahich is offering a $3000 reward to retrieve a precious golden ring stolen by a serial thief last week.

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“From what we know it happened in the middle of the day when no one was home,” Ms Spahich said. “That has been the same for everyone who reached out to me.

“He takes jewellery and leaves everything else, wears gloves and uses a glass cutter to get in.”

“We are so frustrated at this point.”

Originally published as North Quay Drive residents’ plan to put boom gate on Gold Coast island to fight burglaries