Youth crime ‘out of control’ in Mareeba as residents plan rally

Break and enters, “peeping Toms and w**kers” outside the kitchen window, and rampant vandalism - including of a cenotaph - have residents of this Far North town at boiling point. VOTE IN OUR POLL

MAREEBA residents will gather to demand action on youth crime at a rally in Davies Park on December 19.

Former Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Inspector Denis McKinley is spearheading a campaign to address what he says is rampant crime in the Tablelands township.

“The justice system is out of whack, there’s no consequences for these offenders, and this message needs to get to the Premier,” Mr McKinley said.

“They are causing absolute pandemonium in this town, they have no respect for the police or anybody else.

Mareeba resident Denis McKinley is fed up with crime and planning a public rally. Picture: Bronwyn Farr.

“They target the elderly and the vulnerable and they damage public assets every night, they congregate behind the back of the post office,” he said.

Mr McKinley said alcohol restrictions and curfews for those under 16 years of age would help.

“People are off their face by 10am,” he said.

“Their graffiti has an ‘FTP’ tag - that stands for “f**k the police” and it is all over town.”

He said Mareeba’s reputation was at stake, with visitors including grey nomads being accosted at ATMs.

“There’s a core group of unruly teenagers who have no respect for authority.

“I have had enough of statistics saying Mareeba is no worse than any other town – we no longer want statistics thrown at us, we want action, no more talk fests,” Mr McKinley said.

Aaron Jonsson, of 2 Wheels N Wear motorbike shop, is among dozens of businesses to have been broken into.

“The situation is terrible, people need to be held accountable for their action,” Mr Jonsson said.

“A curfew would help, but it has got to be policed and police have got their hands tied.”

Mareeba resident Barry Simpson said “talkfests” including a roundtable with State MP for Cook Cynthia Lui earlier this year had proven fruitless.

“It’s bloody bad - Mareeba has become a dumping ground for recidivist miscreants and it is high time Cynthia Lui represented all people in Cook, particularly those who have been victims of crime,” Mr Simpson said.

“There is a massive increase in incidents of juvenile and other crime in Mareeba.”

Joan Moore, 85, who received an Order of Australia medal for services to the community, was shaken after her home was broken into and her vehicle stolen.

“I feel unsafe, I’ve got to stay here, will it happen again - probably,” Mrs Moore said.

“I’ve had peeping Toms, w**kers, and others.

“We are all frightened, terrified.

“This has just about pushed me over the edge.”

Mrs Moore, who volunteers for the local rugby league club, said her car was found bogged and damaged by the Barron River.

A public rally on youth crime was held earlier this year.

Mareeba Shire Council has asked State Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to address escalating youth crime.

Cr Locky Bensted said it was time for the state government to step up.

“It is quite simply unacceptable to have elderly residents, and mums and dads with young kids intimidated,” Cr Bensted said.

The council moved that the Premier take urgent action on the issue of youth crime, anti-social behaviour and vandalism in Mareeba. It said on Wednesday it had not received a response from the Premier.

Mareeba’s RSL War Memorial was vandalised on November 27 - while historic artillery at Anzac Memorial Park was damaged in June.

Three girls aged 12 and a girl aged 14 were charged with arson in June when fire gutted Performance Motors, leaving owners Kevin and Lucy Dunn devastated with an estimated damage bill of more than $2m.

Ms Lui was unable to respond before deadline because she was in parliament.

Queensland Police Service statistics reveal crime levels are at their highest numbers in Mareeba since 2017 with 2,287 offences recorded this year.

This compares with 1198 in Atherton and 14,950 in Cairns.

Originally published as Youth crime ‘out of control’ in Mareeba as residents plan rally